DTB: Black Dust
by desy
Summary: 2.5 years after Season2's final: Hei and Yin try to live a normal life away from everything that concerns the Gates or Contractors. But when an unknown substance causes Misaki and her new Syndicate to stumble upon BK-201, the Black Reaper suddenly finds himself forced to join forces with his former huntress. All none HeixYin-fans plz skip the first 3 chapters; then the plot starts
1. Chapter 1

_DISCLAIMER:_ I don't own Darker Than Black and its sequels. This fanfiction is NOT for profit, only for fun.

_Spoilers:_ Darker Than Black – The Black Contractor (Season1), DTB - Shikkoku no Hana (Manga); DTB – Gaiden (Ova), DTB – Gemini of the Meteor (Season2)

_Rating:_ T

_Summery_: Set after Gemini of the Meteor's End: Hei has his Yin finally back and they are back on their run, but their past won't let them off the hook so quickly, since the world is still not at peace. (Bad summary, sorry)

_A/N:_ Hi, guys, this is my first fanfic for DTB and the people over in the Xmen-fandom gonna kill me if they knew I would write a story to another fandom instead of updating there… (In the middle of October the Wolverine Anime will be aired here in Germany, so I'm to 95% sure I'll be again head-over-heels for Xmen, but then again there are rumors for a 3rd DTB season also start airing mid October…)

If I get something wrong, please tell me, since watching Season 2 is some years back and I never watched the Ovas (which will hopefully change in the next days – I'm also planning on re-watching Season2).

Recently I just watched Season1 again (German dub, no English subs) and I fell for the couple Hei x Yin and then I read the manga which takes place between season1 and Gaiden and this fanfic-plot bothers me for a few days now, so I thought I bring it to paper/HDD.

By the way English is not my native tongue.

**DTB: Black Dust**

Chapter 1

The fake starry sky shone brightly above his head, just like the 'new' copied Earth woke to its first 'real' day of life. But this was not of any concern to him. The only reason to live in his miserable existence lay unconscious in his arms and was breathing, this was all that counted for Hei. He slowly staggered away from the centre of the Gate towards the old subway-tunnels that held a secret path to the rest of the world, his grip tightening around the nude form of the young woman, who meant the world to him.

He didn't know how long he'd walked through the nightly streets of Tokyo or where his feet had brought him, but when Hei eventually looked up to take in his surroundings, he stood in front of a abandoned warehouse, one of his and Yin's hide-outs after they were on the run from the Syndicate.

Yin… His gaze travelled down to the angelic features of the woman he loved and suddenly he registered the cold around him and her clothless state – she must be freezing. Carefully he entered the building and went up the creaking stairs to the room he knew a single bed and blankets would await him. As gently as possible he placed her onto the gray blanket and wrapped it tightly around her fragile frame before slipping out of his coat and placing it over her peacefully sleeping form.

He stared at her a small eternity, marveling if this was yet another one of his cruel dreams, but he dared to believe that the wish he made inside the Gate might have indeed be granted. With a slightly trembling hand he reached out to stroke a silver strain from her cheek, his fingertips lingering on her cool but smooth skin.

"Yin…" Pools of tears gathered in his dark blue eyes and were allowed to find their way down his cheeks in thick rivers, when he leaned forward with a sob and gathered the sleeping beauty in his tight embrace. "I'm so sorry. I really meant my promise." His own body shook by his desperate cries.

When eventually no more tears would flow Hei loosened his grip on her lifeless form and carefully crawled onto the bed – the mattress creaking under his weight. He leaned against the headboard before lifting Yin's still body up and pulling her onto his lap. Her head rested just above his heart as he wrapped his arms around her and watched her sleep, praying for her to wake up.

His fingers seemed to have their own life when they ran through her long silver locks and began to gently stroke her arm. He buried his nose in her hair and took a deep breath of her flowery scent. "Please wake up, Yin." He whispered as silent tears streamed down his face and he tightened his hold on her even more, afraid she would vanish into thin air like in his nightmares.

* * *

Slowly her eyelids fluttered open and the dark that engulfed her her entire life lightened up ever so slightly. 'Sunlight.' She remembered this minimal change in her ever present darkness.

Taking a deep breath, it felt like breathing freely in a very long time, though the main smell lingering in the air was mold - but she wouldn't complain. Her ears couldn't make out any sounds beside a rhythmically thumping below her head and then she felt it. She was not alone. There was someone holding her fiercely. Yin panicked a little.

But then she recognized another smell. A smell that reminded her of the silver moonlight, walks on the sand and embraces, of safety and love. Of Hei.

She tried to summon her observer spirit, but the closest her unnatural 'eyes' came to her current position was a bottle of water across from their present hideout – there was no water in this room.

She carefully lifted her head and looked up, where her intuition told her Hei's face was. He seemed to sleep. Lifting her hand somehow was a great afford, but she managed to hover her fingers over his features, his breath tickling her fingertips. She didn't mean to wake him, but it felt like a lifetime ago, that she had touched him – she, not her Observer Spirit.

His skin felt a little rougher than she remembered, but her memories slowly returned and she remembered the last months, or were it years?, he had suffered, unable to see her observer spirit, she had sent out to him. She felt suddenly tears sting in her sightless eyes at the thought how broken this man had been. His face had looked so hard and jagged, but her fingertips told her a different story now: he seemed relaxed.

"Hei." She breathed, but her throat felt rough and sore, only by this single word. When she felt him shift under her, she feared to have woken him, but his arms only tightened even more around her body and he nuzzled the top of her head with his nose before planting a kiss onto her silver hair. "I'll never let go of you again, Yin." He whispered in his dream.

Blinking her eyes, her tears finally rolled down freely her pale cheeks. She had missed him so much. Even his irrational promises, or maybe especially those.

Her fingers ran through his thick mane and she nestled her face into the crook of his head, breathing in his unique scent.

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked it. Reviews make me write faster.

Since watching Season2 is a few years back for me, could anyone please explain me where the hell the NEW GATE appeared (also Tokyo?) and why (if this was told). So there is the sealed off Heaven's gate, the open Hell's gate and this open third and new gate, or did I got something wrong by reading other fanfics…


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer:_ I own nothing.

_A/N:_ Thanks for adding this story to your favorites, Sharoku Kainazu and Renting, and for the alert, aquarius15. Now I finally watched Gaiden (that was so sad, but it finally filled the gap between Season1 and 2).

* * *

Chapter 2

Hei slowly woke to a sensation he hardly remembered: someone running lovingly their fingers through his hair. And then there was this angelic voice saying his name so lightly he at first thought he might imagined it. But then he heard Yin's voice again. "Hei."

Suddenly he opened his eyes and looked down into the teary eyes of this special Doll.

"Hei." She said again, but the slight nuance in her tone told him she knew that he was awake now.

"Yin." Emotions overwhelmed him as he embraced her even more and planted kisses of relief onto her hair and cheeks as she immediately returned his hug and slung her slender arms about his neck. "You're awake, Yin."

"Hei." She loved the ring of his name, it always seemed to clear that fog around her, that kept her emotions and will at prison.

"I missed you so." Tears streamed down his face and mixed with Yin's.

"Hei." Was the only she repeatedly said and he soon feared that he had imagined her small smiles at him and _her_ taking his hand or her embraces as something more. Did she hold no affection for him as he had thought? Wasn't it _his Yin_ who had told him, that she loved him?

But at the moment it didn't matter to him that his love was only one-sided. He finally held her again.

Yin wished she could see him, see how he kissed her even if it wasn't on her lips. "Don't let go of me, Hei." She eventually brought out, her throat hurting from the long disuse. Suddenly the kisses-rain had stopped and she felt his gaze heavy on her. Unsure about his expression she pulled one arm from his neck and touched his face with her cold fingertips, feeling for the corners of his mouth. "You're smiling."

Hei's heart beat hard in his chest as he took in her expression. He tenderly grasped her fingers she held to his face and placed a gentle kiss onto their tips. "So are you."

His remark caught her off guard and she felt for her own lips. He was right. And it felt surprisingly natural that smile. Then she remembered what Kiko had once called her smile. "Is it cute? My smile?"

Hei looked down at her slightly dumb folded. Where did this question come from? "Well no… It's beautiful."

This made her smile even brighter and suddenly her hand was at the back of his head again, pulling his face towards hers till their lips brushed against each other in a first chaste kiss.

The kiss lasted several moments and when Hei broke away in the need of air he cradled her petite frame tighter to his, enveloping her as good as he could. "I love you." He could feel the tension in his body till he heard those words from her.

"I love you, Hei."

They kissed again, this time more passionately until a growl made Hei laugh. "Hungry, huh?"

Suddenly Yin felt like starving and nodded. Though he had preferred to never let go of her again, he sat up and placed her gently down next to him on the bed. Straitening his clothes, he walked over to a loose board in the floor and took the last money out he had hidden here just in case: 7500Yen, not much. "I'll get you something to eat and some clothes. I'll hurry." He stuffed the bills into his black trousers' pockets. "You haven't eating in a very long time. I'll get you a soup for the start."

Yin nodded, he was always so considered of her. She slid from the edge of the bed, wanting to stand up and hug him before he left, but as soon as her feet touched the hard floor, her legs gave away and she ended up in a heap next to the bed. Her body felt so strange and her legs were like jelly.

Hei was in an instant by her side and lifted her up and placed her now nude form back onto the bed – the blanket and coat had fallen from her shoulders. "Easy, Yin. You haven't used your legs for more than a year now." He pulled his coat lovingly around her and helped her into the sleeves. He felt his blood run south and tried his best to keep his gaze to her face. Her teary eyes. "Yin?" He asked in alarm.

"I'm just a burden."

"Never think that." He hugged her again and kissed her lips gently. "You're my reason to live."

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked it, a response would be nice. Constructive criticism would also be appreciated. This way I know if I should continue with this story (the real plot will start the chapter after the next), or if I should shelf it and move back to my Xmen fanfics?


	3. Chapter 3

_DISCLAIMER:_ I don't own DTB, otherwise there would be a sequel and a prequel. (Does a 3rd season start October or was this rumor wrong (cry)?

_A/N:_ Big thanks for the reviews: vfergus and ShiroShinrai and for the alerts and favorites.

Sorry this update took so long, but I began re-watching Season2 (not completely finished yet) and I was already outlining the plot and later chapters, so all will fit together nicely with hopefully a bit mystery mixed in like in the series.

This is the re-edited version. It only differs in one sentence.

* * *

Chapter 3

The sun had just risen over Sendai, but Hei was already busy in the small kitchenette, preparing an ample breakfast as quietly as he could to don't disturb Yin's sleep. The poor Doll had thrown up as soon as he had sat the sushi before her last evening and hadn't eaten anything for supper. And besides this she had been so tired lately.

From time to time the Black Reaper let his eyes travel over the peaceful from of his lover. The silver-haired woman kept surprising him every day with more questions and actions of her free will – last week she had told him she didn't need the nighty he was about to buy for her, she liked to wear his tank-tops and button-ups for bed (especially the ones he had already worn).

Maybe Amber was right and they only stood at the beginning of the evolution of Contractors and Dolls. And maybe his Yin was only the first Doll to make those steps towards humanity.

Suddenly he heard a quick shuffle of blankets and the pit-pad of bare feet rushing over the hardwood floor to the bathroom. Worried he walked over and found the young woman emptying her already empty stomach into the toilette.

"Yin." Alarm was clearly heard in his voice as he sank down next to the Doll and held her long hair out of harm's way. He began rubbing her back gently, worry swam in his dark blue eyes.

After a while only sitting there and letting her stomach calm down, Yin slowly staggered to her feet and rinsed her mouth with some water, washing the bitter taste away. She looked up into the mirror above the sink, her sightless eyes finding Hei's immediately - her expression was as stoic as most of the time. "Thank you." She breathed and turned around, her long hair slowly fell from the Contractor's hand.

Concern was written all over Hei's face and he placed his large hands onto her small shoulders. "Are you sick, Yin?"

"I feel better now." She saw his frown and silent question – her observer spirit was behind her in the still wet sink. "The smell makes my stomach sick."

"The smell?" Hei looked really astonished but then a thought dawned on him, deep down he already had that idea the evening before. "When was your last period?" They were sleeping with each other for a few months now, but not every time he had a condom at hand – he had thought that 'pulling out' would also do the trick.

The Doll contemplated a moment, but then her eyes widened ever so slightly in surprise. "Hizen… Five weeks." Her hand lifted and she placed it carefully over her stomach, a soft smile graced her lips.

Hei was like stunned for a split second afraid of her reaction, but his heart began thumping wildly in his chest as he saw her smile and her happiness equal his. Covering her hand on her stomach with his, he leaned down and captured her lips in a slow but passionate kiss. Like always she kissed him back, her free hand running through his dark mane.

When they broke the kiss in need of air, Hei gathered her in a tight embrace. "I love you." Immediately after he had gotten her back and they had resumed their run from city to city, he had used their old disguise as honeymooners and he could tell that she was fond of the idea, as was he. Hei liked calling her his wife and every time she heard him referring to her as such, the corners of her mouth twitched upwards.

Yin's petite arms encircled his back while she buried her face in the crook of his head and shoulder. "I love you, Hei, and our baby."

With another kiss to her lips he slung his arm around her back, his hand resting on her hip and he began leading her over to their small table, Yin leaning into his side. Suddenly, without warning she stopped in her tracks, whirled around and hurried back into the bathroom.

Hei sighed with a smile and opened the window to get rid of the cooking-smell. Interesting months lay before them, but at the moment he wouldn't let the fish go to waste.

* * *

They lived for two weeks in Nara and Hei had gotten a job as waiter and cook in a small restaurant – a family run business. Yin would sometimes hang out there and help the elderly woman – the owner's wife – with the laundry, she didn't like to be useless – she never had liked this feeling, but now Yin could finally phrase it.

Life was good at the moment for the two of them. No pursuers on their heels, a nice small apartment, a not to stressful job for Hei that left enough time to spent together in the park at the lake or stargazing and best was their first child was on its way. Though it were still a few months to go, Yin would sometimes drag Hei into the baby-department and look through the baby-clothes and toys, her expression as emotionless as always, but her lover could tell that she was happy and could hardly wait till she could hold their baby for the very first time.

And he wasn't any better: He would stand next to her and follow her through the shelves, looking for any bystander unreadable or at best a little bored, but he loved every minute of watching Yin planning for their future as a family.

"Would you bring these dishtowels to your husband into the kitchen, Yin." The older woman said and went into the restaurant's main room.

The silver-haired Doll took the heap of cloth and pressed it against her chest nodding. "Sure." Her observer spirit guided her through the kitchen and away from the hot stove, where Hei was currently stirring a soup. Suddenly the young woman stopped in her tracks, laid the dishtowels away and quickly placed her hand onto her swollen stomach, her widened eyes shimmering with tears. "Hei."

The Black Reaper looked up from the food and his heart skipped a beat at the sight of Yin holding her belly and tears pooling in her purple eyes. The spoon he held fell to the floor with a loud clatter and Hei was next to his lover, concern and fear on his features. "Is something with the baby? Are you hurting?" He was about to reach for the phone when he saw Yin shake her head with a small smile.

"It's moving." She grasped his hand that lay on her hip and pressed it onto her stomach, watching with her specter how an incredible bright smile appeared on his features, when he felt the kicks of their child against his palm.

A warmth spread in his chest and the Black Reaper sunk to his knees, hugging the silver-haired Doll and buried his face in her belly carefully. Placing a kiss on her stomach, he listened to their baby's heartbeat relieved. "Don't scare me like that again, Yin."

"Sorry." Her delicate fingers ran through his dark hair. "If it's a girl, I wanna call her Bai Xing."

This made Hei look up to meet her 'gaze', an expression of pure love on his face.

* * *

A/N: Liked it? Reviews are a wonderful thing.


	4. Chapter 4

_DISCLAIMER:_ I own nothing.

_A/N:_ Big thanks for the review, of fan and fic. I also like Mao better as cat, so his main body will be a cat again, though he'll use other bodies from time to time. Some of the other questions will be answered in this chapter and the next one(s). In my opinion they could have left that entire Suou&Shion part out (especially Oreille – I don't like her and that futuristic stuff she has…) and made 5 OVA episodes. After finally re-watching Season2 and the OVAs, I'm pretty sure that Hei is Izanagi and not Shion (that boy was just necessary for that entire 'back-upping Earth' thingy) and in the very end (when Hei carries Yin away) we see no star fall (Dolls also have stars – see manga), so Yin is alive in the end. But why the hell did they have to kill July off in the end! This was really unnecessary! Cry! I really began to like the little guy…

I like to keep as close to the anime and manga as possible, so this chapter is a little like the first chapter in the manga or the very first episode, where we get to know Misaki and a little background to the story…

* * *

Chapter 4

'_It's been 15 years now since the 'Hell'sGate' appeared in Tokyo and the old stars and the moon disappeared and this fake starry sky enveloped the world. Much had happened and many people had died and many fake stars had fallen in the last one and a half decades.'_ Kirihara Misaki thought as she left the latest crime-scene, shaking the persistent sand from her shoes.

'_Since five years the public knows about the existence of Contractors, Dolls and their super-human abilities, yet nothing has changed. There are still crimes and murders done by rational thinking Contractors and the different illegal or political-driven groups they are working for. And the numbers are still increasing.'_ She got into her car and waited for her team to get in as well.

'_Since two years I belong to the Syndicate – not the same one BK-201 began to destroy five years ago – but a new one. I together with my team – Saitou, Kouno, Ootsuka (I need people I can trust and count on), Mao and our two newest team additions Ivory (a Contractor) and his younger brother Emerald (a Doll) – work under the official disguise of Special-Contractor-Affairs-Section that investigates Contractor-related incidents countrywide, so normal humans can live in peace with Contactors.' _

Misaki huffed frustrated and looked over at Saitou at the passenger seat. "Now we drove all the way to Osaka and have still not the slightest clue on those strange new stars that appear out of nowhere, pulse and then vanish without falling, just to reappear shortly some time later. Let alone the unnatural number of Moratoriums appearing lately."

On the backseat Kouno slid somewhat away from the stoic Doll – the 10 year old gave him the creeps. "But there must be a connection to those murders taking place all over the country and not only here, there are even cases in countries far away from the two open Gates. Some of the victims were killed by abilities not logged yet or the Contractors known for those abilities have a good alibi. Maybe it has something to do with this new gate?"

Misaki sighed. "That's nothing new. And the only traces like fingerprints are from humans that most likely were not involved and have passed by before the crimes occurred." From the corner of the eyes she watched the shore they were driving by. Suddenly a dark-haired man in a brown button-up shirt and dark-blue jeans caught her attention. _'Li-kun…'_ Without warning she yanked the wheel to the side and stopped the car at the roadside.

Jumping out of the car, the woman got a last good glimpse of the man, she hadn't seen for so long, as he paid at the small store and walked back down the sandy path to the shore.

"Kirihara-san?!" Her subordinates called after her confused and all got off the vehicle following her.

* * *

A/N: Please review and tell me if you liked it so far. Criticism is also welcomed.


	5. Chapter 5

DISCLAIMER: I still own nothing.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, Guest and of fan and fic. of fan and fic: This chapter is much longer and I hope I could get enough 'feeling' into it – it's kinda hard, sometimes the writing flows and sometimes I have to ponder over the right words or phrases (English is not my native tongue). The description of the baby will follow in a later chapter. By the way, you misunderstood: I love the OVA, and Season2 could have been better if they had left the entire Suou/Shion thing out. The season was ok. But I can understand that you (as Misaki/Hei shipper) don't like the OVA or season2.

Anyway, I hope to hear from you again. Here's the next chapter.

Oh, and before anyone wonders, Mayu is the paper-pusher of Misaki's team and thus in Tokyo.

* * *

Chapter 5

"Li-kun." Misaki caught her breath, but her eyes never left BK-201's form. After two years she had finally found him again.

Hei's head snapped towards the familiar voice, tearing his gaze away from the silver-haired woman sitting on the shore, her back to him and her bare feet engulfed by the waves from time to time. He stared wide eyed at the woman before him while a cat and four males came to a sudden halt behind her. "Kirihara-san?"

"Hei!" the cat shouted surprised at the sight of his old comrade.

"Mao." Hei greeted and his eyes returned to the peaceful picture of his Yin sitting in the sand.

Misaki wanted to ask him so much, but then her gaze followed his to the young woman, she recognized as the Doll that had harbored Izanami. "So, she survived."

Hei nodded slowly.

Misaki was at a loss at how to ask everything that had been on her mind for so long, but decided that best was to start with business, this was BK-201 after all and a double-murder occurred not even 3km from here. "Li-kun, there was a murder involving a Contractor not far from here. Have you seen anything?"

Hei knew immediately that she didn't see him as a mere possible witness. It never had been a coincidence when she had met him near a crime-scene before. That is until now. "No. I worked till an hour ago and afterwards we were here the entire time. I just went to the kiosk to get Pockey." He held the little box up, his tone matter-of-factly – there was no trace of 'Li-kun'.

Misaki didn't know if she should believe him, but there were no traces of electric-shocks or his knives at the bodies or the nearer surroundings. "Fine."

An uncomfortable silence befell the group, and Mao spoke up – not missing that Saitou and Kouno were a mixture of shock and surprise that he gave his cover away and that the man didn't thought a speaking cat weird. "Is she fine, Hei?" His eyes were on the Doll, he thought of as a friend.

The Black Reaper leaned back on the bank he was sitting on and chewed on a Pockey-stick, offering Misaki the box, who declined – she preferred greasy food after all. "Yeah… She's becoming 'herself' gradually."

"Herself?" The cat frowned and watched the Doll slowly rise. The light blue dress fell down to her knees and she pushed the straw-hat somewhat forward, to keep it from sliding from her head.

Mao's eyes widened when he saw Yin turn around and approach them, a in pink clad baby in her arms and the faintest of smiles on her lips. "Yin?!" He whispered, before his gaze snapped at the Black Reaper, who lifted the infant from her arms and smiled at her brightly – Li-like, but not faked, Mao could tell.

"Mao." The silver-haired Doll's sightless eyes remained a moment on the black cat, before her 'gaze' returned to her family. Mao noted the girl he once knew had matured; her hair was longer – almost reaching her waist – her face had lost its baby fat and the way she carried herself spoke of a young woman.

There was a pang to her heart when Misaki watched Hei gather the baby lovingly into his arms – she was over her crush on him, but still it hurt. "Li-kun…" _'How did I miss that stroller standing behind him…'_

Hei cradled the giggling baby and his finger lifted the necklace out of sea-shells that hung around her tiny neck after giving Yin the box with sweets. "That's a nice necklace Mama made you, Bai."

"She's a Doll, Hei. That's not right!" Mao knew after he had witnessed Hei's drinking and 'screw-you-attitude' a few years ago, that the man was in love with the Doll, but that he would indeed use her to sate his desires… Then again, back then the man had been broken and was nothing like his former self – the way he sometimes treated Suou – maybe he is indeed capable of…

Yin's emotionless eyes settled onto her former team-mate. "I wanted a baby with Hei." There was a slight emphasis on the word 'I'.

Hei's eyes narrowed and darkened, his voice a harsh growl. "She's with me by her own free will, Mao! We belong together."

"It's mutual." Yin said in her quiet monotone voice and laced her fingers with Hei's, his hand next to hers on the bank. She could feel his anger and tension slowly leave his body again.

"Yin…" Mao starred at the couple at a loss of words. After a moment he shook his head chuckling. "You've always been weird, Hei. You've a bad influence on Contractors and Dolls around you." Mao was still surprised – he had witnessed the small changes – disobedience and acts out of free will – of this special Doll years ago, but that she would reach this level of free will and emotion. "It's never boring around you, Hei." He jumped onto Yin's lap and curled together, her hands immediately patting his new body's fur.

"Sometimes 'boring' is nice." Yin whispered emotionlessly and leaned into her lover's side. She was tired of the constant running, and so was he.

Misaki was suspicious. This Doll didn't act like any Doll she had ever met. Between her and Emerald lay worlds. „Izanami?"

„Izanami is dead." Hei shook his head, his eyes cast onto the silver-haired woman next to him. "She's Yin… and only Yin."

"It's like the fog is slowly clearing around me… like waking up from a deep dream." The young woman said, again without being asked to do so while her specter 'watched' in its small form from the ocean the entire time.

"Dream?... Do you know what a dream is, Yin?" Mao asked astonished – Contractors weren't supposed to have dreams, especially not Dolls, though he himself as a Contractor had dreams even if those revolved about trivial things.

She nodded slowly. "Hei explained it to me… and I remember a little bit from 'the time before'."

Mao chuckled again half in disbelief. "A Doll with emotions and will and an irrational Contractor."

"The same goes for you, Mao."

"Ke, don't be ridicules, Yin. I'm as emotionless and rational as a Contractor can be!"

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but the Doll's right, Kitty. You let yourself influence by your emotions. Last week you covered Kouno's stoppage of the gun, cuz he didn't clean his gun." The brunette teenager put in and made Kouno jump and duck away from Misaki's angry gaze. "You lied for him and thus could have brought yourself into trouble. An irrational act."

Mao kept his cool, the mouthy teen got onto his nerves since he joined their team. "It was a rational decision, Ivory. Trouble or Kouno's suspension would have influenced the dynamic of the entire team." But the small twitch of Hei's lips didn't go unnoticed by the older Contractor. His former team-mate knew that this was most likely a lie; the cat had often enough saved Hei's ass with incomplete reports at the Syndicate.

"Whatsoever, Kitty…"

"You're still young, brat. Even Contractors form ties." Hei's gaze fell upon the younger boy in the background, staring stoically in front of himself. The Doll looked like a younger version of the other boy with green eyes instead of light brown. "You're brothers, aren't you?"

The young Contractor laughed amused. "Brothers? Yeah, once there was a time he would have bothered me with his newest manga, but now he's just a stupid Doll that wouldn't even eat without being ordered doing so." He pushed Emerald by the shoulder and the younger boy stumbled onto his butt. "See he doesn't even stand up, without being told."

"Maybe he doesn't have a reason to stand up."

Ivory snorted. "You don't know what you're talking about. I'm a Contractor. Family and friendship are burdens and thus irrational." With those words the boy turned around and went over to a palm, leaning against its trunk, still intending on listening onto the conversation.

Misaki pushed her anger onto Kouno and Mao into the back of her mind – she would deal with them later. Her chocolate eyes turned onto the boy, sitting in the sand. "Emerald, please stand up." The boy obeyed and Misaki felt a knot form in her stomach. Given, the brothers were only a little over two weeks on their team, but she hadn't treated Emerald as nothing more but a tool. Suddenly the image of another little boy waving at her, flashed up before her mind's eyes. "You're right, Li-kun. July had the same minimal programming as Emerald, but he called November 11 his friend."

"July? The Doll from the MI6?" Saitou asked, confused about the whole conversation. Just who where those people? Was this Li-kun not the ever-hungry waiter in the hotel? And why does this man obviously has secret knowledge and knows what his boss is talking about? Was this Li-kun a Contractor?

"Yeah." Mao's looked up, his gaze centered onto the special Doll, he once called his partner. "Yin, do you know anything about the double-murder taking place on the other side of the bay at the cliff's foot?"

She nodded slowly and began her answer without further prompting. "It wasn't double-murder."

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A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. Reviews are a wonderful thing…


	6. Chapter 6

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, they make me happy!

Guest: I think both Hei and Yin are quite paranoid (see Gaiden OVA1), but that's what keeps them alive. I think Yin would always have an 'eye' on their surroundings as would Hei.

of fan and fic: Kouno was too lazy and didn't clean his gun properly, so during a mission when he needed to shoot, the trigger blocked and he couldn't shoot. Mao was there and saw it (as was Ivory), but the cat decided to cover Kouno – he should have told the incident Misaki and she would have suspended Kouno or something – the incident could have get him or his partners killed. I got that idea from one CSI-episode (don't ask me which series, all three are running here six days a week (about 13 episodes) – you can't really keep up with what happened when and in which series). I hope I could answer your question.

* * *

Chapter 6

"What?!" Misaki stared at her and Kouno began scribbling into his notepad.

"The human had bought black dust from another man. He snorted the dust and then burned the dealer and robbed him. He snorted more of the dust and then he lost control and burned himself."

Hei starred at his lover and fear for her and their child's safety engulfed him. "Why didn't you tell me?" His tone was grave and held an angry edge. Sometimes he hated it when Yin showed too much of an own mind.

Yin looked up from her lap and the cat and her sightless gaze met Hei's. "It didn't concern us. I didn't want to worry you, Hei."

He understood this, but still… "It's dangerous here. We'll leave." The Black Reaper carefully placed his babbling daughter into her stroller, but his love's steady voice made him look back at her.

Yin shook her head. "They're everywhere, Hei."

"Yin?" His usually half-closed eyes widened in alarm.

"I saw the same dust being dealt with in Yokohama, Akita and Higo and a man robbed a bank in Fukuoka with the help of this dust."

"What?!" Hei was angry that she'd kept this from him, but then again he also held information he didn't share with her to not worry her.

Kouno was gladly writing the first valid information down they had on this case. "And you are sure he was human and not a Contractor?"

"Yes."

Misaki pondered over this statement. "So there is a substance out there turning normal humans into Contractors…" Suddenly her face lit up like a Christmas tree. "Of course now it makes sense!"

"Boss?!"

"The stars that appear out of the blue may be caused by this substance!"

"But why do they disappear again? They are astable." Saito wondered, but his feline colleague was already a step ahead.

"The effect of this dust might be limited and thus the people have to buy new one."

"And that's why the customer killed and robbed the dealer." Hei concluded.

"That would mean they stay human and only obtain Contractor abilities for a short time." Saito mused. "But that would mean they're something in-between human and Contractor. That's not possible."

"It is." Hei said, but remained quiet when the other man asked what exactly he meant by that. But Mao understood. If Hei was a 'real' Contractor the anti-Contractor-weapon would have killed him and not only robbed him off his Contractor's abilities.

"So we finally have a direction to investigate." Kouno didn't look up from his notes. "Miss, I need your name for the giving of evidence."

But before Kouno received an answer his notepad was gone and a very angry Hei had him by the hem of his shirt. "Listen, I don't care what you say how you obtained this information, but you'll never bring up Yin, me or the fact that she's an evolving Doll!" Hei growled into the face of the other man, his eyes filled with cold anger.

Misaki feared that he might fry Kouno in his blind fear for his family – she could understand his reaction, with the knowledge she held over him. "Li-kun, I promise you, neither of you will be mentioned anywhere. This meeting never occurred." His eyes switched over to her, his dangerous glare dug into her to the very bones.

"Hei," whispered Yin quietly and with a huff and a dark glance the Black Reaper let go of the other man and pushed the notepad back into his hands.

* * *

A/N: I know it's a little short, but I hope you still like it. Please review!


	7. Chapter 7

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

A/N: Big thanks for the reviews, Maiden of Sin and of fan and fic.

of fan and fic: Thanks for your reviews and PMs. Akito and Higo are cities or towns in Japan, I really thought the context would make this clear.

And your question about the snorting of the dust makes me think, I got the wrong word. I meant that they inhale the dust with their nose. So is there another English word than 'snort'? As said before, English is not my native language and I sometimes use a dictionary…

* * *

Chapter 7

When the situation had eventually calmed, Misaki contemplated how she could break through this uncomfortable silence that had befallen the group. "Oh, I totally forgot, Li-kun. I've got a letter for you. From Amber."

Hei stared at Misaki like she had grown a second head for a split second. "Amber? You knew Amber?"

Misaki pulled a closed envelop from the inside of her jacket – she always had it with her just in case. "Not personally, but we mean the same Amber, also known as February."

"The head of EPR?!" Saito exclaimed half alarmed. Kouno also seemed like he couldn't really follow this conversation or at least understand why their boss was talking about this terrorist like she was friends with her.

"Yes, exactly this Amber." Misaki straightened out the paper and offered it to Hei. "I found a letter with my name on it a little over a year ago. In it was this envelope and a letter asking me to give it to you."

Hei inspected the envelope. It seemed unopened and the handwriting seemed to be Amber's. Carefully he opened it and took the letter and an object he hid in his closed palm out, reading the letter first:

'_If Kirihara-san gives you this letter it means that you have chosen this future and that the struggle is still not over._

_Join Kirihara-san's fight. For your family's shake. Otherwise you'll lose everything dear to you, Hei._

_Amber_

_P.S.: And you need the exercise otherwise you'll get fat when you turn 30 with your eating habits._

The corners of Hei's lips twitched when he read the last line.

"Is the letter real, Hei?" Mao was curious.

"It's from her."

"One moment please!? Does this mean Li-san is associated with the EPR?"

Mao was quick to answer. "It's not your business, Kouno, but Amber is Hei's ex."

"It's almost a decade ago…" It seemed like a lifetime ago. So much had happened. Hei opened his hand and saw the feather-charm, just the pendant, with a small note attached. _'To Bai, I hope it will always make you smile.'_

He folded the letter and shoved it into his shirt's pocket, before crouching down in front of the stroller and his daughter. With a bright smile he saw that one sea-shell on her new necklace had a second hole and he knotted the charm to it. "It's a gift for you, Bai." The baby immediately bubbled happily and grasped the feathers and shoved them into her tiny mouth, making Hei panic and pull her little fist out. Before the now crying child could get a hold of the charm again, her father had taken the necklace off and had hidden the with spit-dripping item in his jeans' pocket – out of the baby's line of sight.

He suddenly felt Yin tug on his shirt and when he faced her, she held the note, turned to the backside for him to read. _'You should give it to her, when she isn't putting everything into her mouth.' _He narrowed his eyes. "She couldn't write it onto the front-side?!"

"She wanted to see your true smile again." Yin said nonchalant and lifted Mao up and held him in front of the crying baby, which the Contractor didn't think very funny.

"What you doing, Yin!? Put me back down!"

The Doll ignored him and placed him next to her daughter and a little on top of her small belly in the stroller. "Look, Bai."

It took the baby a moment to realize that the big furry and black animal wouldn't hurt her, but soon the girl had her tiny hands in the animal's fluffy fur.

"Gentle, Bai." But the baby already had the cat's ears in a tight grasp.

"Oww! She's as gentle as Hei's at work!" Finally Mao wiggled out of the child's grasp and jumped to the side onto the bank. But as anticipated the girl began to cry on the tips of her small lungs. With a sigh he began to wave his tail and stroked carefully with it over the baby's tiny hands, getting her attention. Soon the sobbing had stopped and the girl tried to catch the tail, Mao kept waving. "Hehe, you like that game, kiddo."

"Hei, we have a babysitter now. We can go out." Yin said in her monotone voice, but the Black Reaper knew this was one of her rare jokes.

Hei could swear Mao's face was horrorstricken at the mere thought. "When this case is another dead-end we'll return to Tokyo at the end of the week. So unfortunately you have to find someone else for this job." Mao grinned. "Shit!" the cat screamed a second later and got a safe distance between himself and the child, licking his hurting tail.

* * *

A/N: Reviews are a wonderful thing.

Before questions arise: Amber's power was also to _look_ into the future, so imagine she must have watched exactly this scene (with Hei smiling at his daughter), so she could write the letter with pendant in the past and hide it so Misaki would find it later.

By the way, is anywhere mentioned what Kiko's weird friend's name is (the one with the glasses and big breasts)?


	8. Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: I still own nothing…

A/N: Thanks for the reviews, of fan and fic and Maiden of Sin. I'm glad you enjoyed the Mao-Bai scene. I always loved the moments in the anime, when Mao was chased by cats or did something else funny.

Chapter 8

Hei sat on the bed, his face buried in his hands, on the nightstand next to him lay the fateful letter. He heard the soft footfalls of Yin nearing him and eventually felt her sinking down next to him. "Hei…"

The Black Reaper looked up with a sigh and gathered his love into a tight embrace, burying his face in her long silver locks. She immediately returned the hug and clutched his black t-shirt in her slender hands, holding onto him firmly.

"Amber said I need to fight again. Join Kirihara." He mumbled into her soft hair, holding her close.

After a small eternity he loosened the embrace slightly and looked into her purple eyes, not missing the tear that rolled slowly down her pale cheek. "We have to return to Tokyo."

Yin closed the small distance and buried her face in his chest, seeking comfort. "I'm tired, Hei."

"I know. So am I." He nuzzled her hair and kissed her head gently. "No more running." His arms tightened more around her petite body - she was his strength. "I'll protect you and Bai. No matter what happens."

* * *

"Chief Ichinose, there's a call for you. A Li Shengshun." A policeman of the local police station in Osaka held the receiver towards the head of the special Contractor-related-crimes-division, Section9, from Tokyo, which true goal was to secure every substance originated from within the gates and to establish a world in which humans and Contractors would live peacefully together – and to find a way to drive the Americans away from Japanese territory without a political or military conflict.

"Li-kun?" Misaki rushed over, not only surprised to hear from the man so soon but rather at all. She had guessed BK-201 was already on the way to the next town with his family. Mao – curious as any cat – jumped onto the desk next to the phone when Misaki took the receiver (The police men everywhere wondered why this weird special section dragged a pet with them wherever they went for their investigations – but most preferred the purring cat over the robotic-like Doll or the snotnosed Contractor).

She lowered her voice, so no one of the present policemen would hear her real name. "Kirihara here. Li-kun?" There was silence on the other end of the line, but then the Black Reaper eventually answered.

"I have to speak with you. In person."

She had hunted him for five years – fine not the entire time, and hunted was exaggerated – but now BK-201 suddenly approaches her, she surely wouldn't throw this chance away. "When and where?"

"One hour, there's a small park 200m southeast from where you are now." There was a short pause. "And since he's eavesdropping, bring Mao with you."

"Ah? How-" Misaki looked around herself but then saw the cat's gaze fixed to a glass of water standing on the neighbored desk. _'It must be his Doll…'_ She inwardly cursed that she couldn't see Observer Spirits and wondered how they looked like. "Fine. Then till later."

"And turn your cell off and take the battery out." With this last instruction he had hung up.

* * *

Misaki was annoyed about this bad joke. Surely, there were still a lot of people after his head and his Doll, but following a cat that was lead by a for humans invisible Observer Spirit zigzag through the city was sheer paranoid. "This is nuts! If we don't finally meet him within the next five minutes I go back to the hotel!" Her feet were hurting like hell.

"And wasting the chance to finally have that conversation, you're looking for for five years," said a familiar voice from behind the next corner.

"Finally!" Misaki exclaimed and was surprised to find next to Hei the Doll with a sleeping baby in a stroller. Mao silently noted the different outfit of the silver-haired young woman: Short blue-jeans with a purple spaghetti-top and a matching bow in her long hair. It was a positive change to her former attire – every day the same dress.

Hei pushed himself away from the wall he was lazily leaning on and grasped Yin's hand. "This game could have been over twenty minutes ago, if your subordinate hadn't tried to tail you, Kirihara-san."

"They did what?!" This was a surprise and she feared she had damaged the little trust the Black Reaper had in her. "Li-kun, I swear I didn't-"

"I know. Saitou did it on his own account, he's worried about you." He saw her confusion. "Yin had listened in on them, just to be sure you were coming alone… Let's go over to the restaurant and talk."

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked it. Reviews are a great thing…


	9. Chapter 9

DISCLAIMER: I still own nothing.

A/N: Big thanks to my faithful reviewers, Maiden of Sin and of fan and fic.

There will be more Mao and Bai scenes in later chapters.

* * *

Chapter 9

"First, I have to know why you joined Section 3." Back then when she had been at Section 4 Hei was sure she held no bad intentions towards Contractors. "The truth."

Misaki felt a light blush on her cheeks. "Well, I wanted to know what had happened to you and what had really happened inside the Gate… and what the true goals of those agencies and organizations were. Staying with the police left me powerless and unable to get in touch with the real important information… so when Section 3 approached me, I took the chance." She scrutinized his expression – his eyes half closed and his face emotionless – like any Contractor. "I wasn't _with_ Section 3, I used them so I could do my own investigations." She remembered the moment when the Black Reaper had attacked her and was about to kill her. "I wouldn't have handed Suou and July over to them, but I could have hardly left those kids sleeping on the streets."

Hei nodded in understanding, this was more like the Kirihara he thought to know.

Mao, who hid under the baby-blanket next to Yin, was chuckling as he saw Hei's order arrive. "I see your eating has returned to normal, Hei. Better than your alcohol diet."

Hei shot the cat an annoyed glare, but let the comment drop, there were more important topics to discuss. "If your bosses can guarantee me that Yin, my family won't be involved in anything and they could provide a certain degree of safety for them I would join your syndicate or whatever it's called." He had almost lost Yin more than just once and there was no chance in hell that he would ever endanger her life again.

"How the sudden change of mind, Li-kun?" Misaki unwrapped her burger. "And by the way, we are ironically called _Syndicate_."

It took Hei a moment to answer. "The letter."

Now Misaki was all ears and bit into her burger, while Yin picked at her fries. "Did Amber tell you something concrete? Something about the Mitaka Document?" She still had the dead woman's request to fill BK-201 in onto this.

He frowned and shook his head. "Nah… She once told me that the future is a fragile thing and too much information does sometimes more harm than good." Hei finished his third burger. "She told me I should turn to you, join forces."

Misaki stared at the man sitting across from her. "I will discuss your request with the others, but even if they agree on your conditions, there are still other people out there out for your head and surely also your Doll's."

Hei nodded. "I know but it would be a start to have a few people less on the heels."

"It would be good to have someone with your abilities on our side. You've my vote, Li-kun."

The Black Reaper stared at her surprised. "You're one of the higher-ups." He surely wasn't up-to-date with the different intelligent agencies.

The woman nodded with a smirk and Mao chimed in. "I'm gonna talk with Oreille. She'll surely agree with us on this, Misaki."

Suddenly a crying coming from the stroller parked next to Hei took his undivided attention. Swallowing the last bite of his fourth burger, he leaned down and picked his now awake and crying daughter up. Lovingly he held her before his face and pressed a kiss onto her tiny nose. "Slept well, Bai?"

The baby calmed slowly down in her father's embrace while Yin 'looked' at the two. Misaki wondered if the Doll contemplated to take the baby from him and calm her herself or if she simply liked to watch the Li Misaki remembered meeting – the sweet exchange student. When the baby was eventually calm and he sat her onto his lap, all eyes were on the cute little girl with large dark blue eyes and light-brown downy hair, just enough a bow could gather a few strands to a little ponytail. "She's beautiful. Congratulations."

"Umm, thanks."

Mao poked his head out from under the blanket. "Yeah, congrats, you two. How old is she?"

"Seven months last week." Yin answered monotonously, but a small smile was on her lips.

Hei returned his attention to his food while his daughter sat happy babbling on his lap and stared at the unknown woman with the weird glasses on her face. She was a curious little girl and reached with her tiny hands towards Misaki, who in turn thought this very cute and smiled at the child. But suddenly the girl's blue eyes flashed in bright red and a light-blue aura enveloped her while Misaki only felt her glasses floating away from her nose and towards the baby.

"Shit! No, Bai!" Hei was quick to catch the glasses midair and to cover his daughter's eyes with his large hand, in the vain hope she would stop her power when she had lost sight of her target. "Bai, stop it!" He hissed and looked around if someone might have witnessed his daughter's Contractor's abilities.

Yin placed her hand onto her child's head and concentrated to stop the telekinetic-power. Frustrated about the hand on her face, the strange sensation fighting her ability and the loss of her new toy, Bai began her brawl, making the entire restaurant look their way.

Hei smiled embarrassed and bowed his head in apology while trying to calm the baby. Misaki was just staring in shock about the revelation at the child, but then lifted her glasses from the tabletop, where Hei had placed them, and offered them to him.

"Thanks. Look, Bai, here are the glasses you wanted." He held them in front of her small red face and as soon as the baby saw the new toy, she slowly calmed to small sobs and hiccups. Immediately she grasped for the funny item and inspected it with her hands and mouth.

"Sorry." Hei looked apologic to Kirihara and in this moment Misaki saw the Li she knew. Maybe not everything had been just an act.

"She's a Contractor?" Misaki whispered squinting her eyes to get a better look at her surroundings.

Mao was also astonished looking up from his place next to Yin. "This young?"

"Yeah."

"And… and her Contract Payment?" Misaki wondered.

This time it was Yin, who decided to answer. "If it isn't crying, sleeping, eating or getting her diaper dirty, she has none."

This got Misaki's attention. "But hasn't every Contractor some kind of remuneration?"

"Yes, unless he had paid his contract by dying or like in my case losing his real body, what equals dying." Mao explained, but then again, they were talking about Hei's daughter…

Hei got suddenly very quiet and hugged his daughter tighter. "She probably paid her contract before her birth."

"Huh?" Misaki could tell those were no good memories for the Black Reaper and she decided to don't probe any further if the man wouldn't want to tell.

It took Hei a moment, his eyes on the happy face of his beautiful little daughter. "Three months before her birth we had a run in with a few Contractors and in the end, Yin drowned in a lake… I had to reanimate her with my electric shocks…"

Misaki was at a loss. "I'm sorry…" Wasn't the entire Izanami-thing bad enough? She didn't know what to think about this Doll. At the moment she stared into the empty space before herself, but the girl was almost blind so what else should she do? What was so special about her that BK-201 would risk his life for her? Just as this thought ran through her mind, Misaki saw a minimal twist in the Doll's features as she hugged Li's arm. Was she comforting him? "I'm positive that there won't be any objections, Li-kun. As soon as I get the ok from the other two, I'll arrange new identities and backgrounds for the three of you."

"It's Hei." The Black Reaper offered, hoping his former hunter was indeed worth his trust and putting his family at stake.

Misaki smiled. "Misaki." Maybe now they could stop the world's decay. After all BK-201 held an incredible power and he had already proven trice that he would protect normal humans and Contractors alike.

* * *

A/N: So what do you think? Comments and criticism are welcomed.


	10. Chapter 10

DISCLAIMER: I still own nothing.

A/N: Big thanks for the reviews: of fan and fic, Maiden of Sin, Monotufu and tityuio. At least I now know that there are three people indeed reading this story and even enjoying it. I considered shelving it (Every time I update this fanfic I get many reviews at my Xmen-fanfics, asking if I wouldn't want to continue those. Yes, I will definitively. But at the moment DtB tempts me a little more. It depends if there's a demand for this DtB story or not, though.)

Anyway, I hope you all had a nice Halloween. I was sick with a cold and didn't decorate (Halloween decoration is really hard to get here in Germany – we don't really celebrate it here, only some horror movies are aired) and only ONE kid in a scream-costume came for sweets – but I didn't see any more kids on the streets either – it may have been too cold. Last year it were five or six kids 'trick and treating'…

* * *

Chapter 10

Two days had passed since the meeting and Misaki had been a little skeptic about Mao's idea to hide a note at the bottom of the bank at the beach they had met Hei. But the Contractor had apparently found it and stood now with his Doll and child before her. "I want to discuss a few details about your alias' background, Hei. And I need a passport photograph of you and your Doll for your new IDs." Misaki hadn't finished the last sentence when the Black Reaper held two small pictures up. "Well, this should do it…"

"We should go over to the noodle-store." Hei suggested, but his wife did not move.

Yin walked up to the Contractor and kissed him quickly onto his lips – surprising the man a little – and Mao and Misaki a lot. "I'll go with Bai into the park. You don't need me for discussing this stuff anyway."

Hei nodded smiling and kissed his wife good-bye. "Be careful."

"Always." Yin muttered and her lips turned into a faint smile. "Bye, Kirihara-san, and thank you."

The older woman glanced amazed at the Doll. "Umm, you're welcome."

"Come with us, Mao." Yin grasped the cat by the neck and placed him onto the stroller's backrest. The Contractor was about to leap back down onto the sidewalk when she added "I have a can with tuna.". Maybe he could live with the threat of his tail being tortured… and being ordered around by a Doll…

When she started pushing the stroller down the street, Mao was about to direct the blind girl, like he had done years before, but then he noticed the bottle of water next to the sleeping Bai and a second Yin suddenly appeared next to the real one out of the blue. "What the?!" The cat stared at the exact copy of his friend perplexed. "Is this your Observer Spirit?" He whispered without taking his eyes off the two women.

"Yes." Answered the Specter and Mao would have bleached if it would have been possible while the real Yin continued. "It upgraded."

"What? When?" It felt really creepy to have a conversation with a Doll AND her Observation Spirit - even for a Contractor that had seen quite much in his life.

The silver-haired Doll's expression was stoic as it was supposed to be. "The something you call Izanami used my powers. Evolved my powers. Showed me what I was capable of. But when it was gone I learned to control them as well." Yin waited for the traffic-light to turn green and continued her way to the small park near the police station.

Mao scrutinized the two. For every Contractor and Doll they would look like twin-sisters wearing the same outfit and for every normal human it was just one young woman walking the streets with her child and a cat. After a while he shook his head. "You know, Yin, you and Hei fit perfectly together."

The Doll thought about to let that comment drop, but decided against it. "I love Hei." This made Mao look up from his comfortable position curled up to her stomach. "When we return to Tokyo… maybe he can relax a little. I know the fighting will continue, but maybe he don't have to worry so much about Bai and me anymore." Her Specter locked gazes with the cat. "He deserves a normal life."

They entered the small park and Yin stopped the stroller when a small earthquake moved the ground beneath her feet. It was only seconds and afterwards it was like nothing had happened except that Bai had woken up. Immediately Yin picked the baby up and sat her into the sandbox with some moulds, her human-looking Specter playing with the child.

Mao waited for Yin to open the promised food. "Those earthquakes are quite bothersome. We can be lucky that our cities are build for this kind of stuff. There are several towns in Europe that are rubble now." He hungrily dug into his meal while Yin sank down onto the park bank next to him.

"Those earthquakes all over the Earth are caused by the open gate?"

"Yes. Since the Hell's Gate opened two years ago, Gate-Particles build in the gate's center and pour into the planet's inner core, destabilizing the entire planet before some leak into the new Gate in China." Mao explained as he finished his fish and licked his mouth and nose. "Unfortunately all research is under American management and we couldn't get much information about their results." He licked his paws. "But I hope Hei can help us with this."

* * *

Unbeknown to the Doll and the body-possessing Contractor three guys were watching them from a near parking lot. "See, Toshi, as I told you the blind girl is with her baby here in the park."

Toshi smirked. "All alone. This will be easy. When she notices that her child is gone, the kid will be already sold and we have enough powder for robbing the bank." He had witnessed the child's powers a few days ago."We should make our move before her man shows up."

"We should still take some, the police is just around the corner." The third man, a tall and tattooed baldie, fished a small plastic bag with black dust from his pants' pocket and inhaled the half as they walked up to the lone woman. "Kenji, you have the chloroform?"

"Yep." He handed a wet tissue the other man. "I'll distract the chick." Kenji snorted also some of the dust, his eyes on Yin. "Umm, hello, do you know where the next bus-station is?"

Meanwhile his two buddies were also on the drug and stared confused at the woman's twin sitting in the sand with the baby. "Where does she come from, Toshi?!"

"Dunno, but she doesn't seem to be blind." He didn't like the way the woman glared at them.

Without answering the question, Yin stood up – as did her Observer Spirit – and approached her daughter. "What do you want?" She said in her even tone while Mao took a position between the last guy and his buddies.

Toshi looked from one woman to the other. "Change of plan." He dashed forward in lightening speed – his Contractor power - and grabbed the baby, while his two friends closed in on the two women. When he was about to sprint away, his legs wouldn't move and one of the silver-haired women stared at him intensely – creeping him out.

"What's wrong with you, Toshi? Get away already!" Baldie screamed and watched the blind girl simply take her baby out of his clutches.

"I – can't – move! What – are – you?" His eyes were widened in terror.

"Shit! She's a Contractor!" Kenji concentrated onto the sand and slowly the grains beneath the women rose to a twister.

Yin tried to get away while she used her specter's power to get the Contractor's abilities under her control. Meanwhile Mao had jumped onto Kenji's face and dug his claws into his eyes, but the man grasped him and threw him away against a tree trunk, screaming in pain and holding his wounded face. "Yin, run!" The cat hoped that she didn't need a pre-programmed escape-route any longer, like Dolls usually do.

Baldie stared at the scene and shot his 'air-bullets' at the woman without the baby, only to see that his bullets went literally through her body – the woman's gaze also centering on him now. A strange feeling enveloped him as he lifted his hand and pointed his fingers onto his friend, ready to fire. "Shit!" Kenji went down, his body torn by his friend's bullets.

While the one woman was occupied with his friends Toshi was slowly able to move again and dashed forward. His balled fist connected hard with the blind woman's head.

Yin felt an impact out of nowhere. Her legs gave way, her head suddenly hurting and cloudy, yet she was able to break her fall and cushion her child with her body.

While Yin went down, her Specter lost its focus on the bald man, who was now lifting his hand at mother and child, firing a salvo. Mao had just gotten back to his feet as he saw with horror the bullets fly towards his old friend. With a rather irrational decision he jumped in front of them, the bullets tearing into the cat, the animal's eyes glowing red.

Fear for her child grasped her heart as Yin tried to push herself up, the wailing Bai clutched tightly to her chest. Her head hurt, something wet was flowing down her temple, and her minimal, usually blurred vision was only a chaos of bright colors dancing in front of her eyes. The Specter had returned to its small blueish form due to her lack of concentration, but she could make out the lifeless form of a black cat lying in a pool of blood in front of her real body.

The bald man was startled about the animal sacrificing its life and staggered back to his fallen buddy. "Kenji, c'mon." He inspected his friend closer. "Shit! He's dead!"

It had been only seconds since his friend had shot at the girl and the cat had interfered, so Toshi used this moment to rip the crying baby from her mother's arms.

"Bai!" Yin cried and grasped the man's leg, gathering her last strength to reactivate her Observer Spirit when the foot of the man forcefully collided with her forehead. The last she saw was a squirrel looking her way before following the kidnappers and her baby girl. Then, everything was black.

* * *

They sat in the small noodle store at the far end of the room, the stacked up empty bowls blocking the sight of the cook to them, while Hei finished his thirteenth plate. Misaki shook her head, a smile on her lips about the incredible amount this man could wolf down. "Mao had told me about your averseness to cell phones, but still here's my number." She slid a card with nothing more than a long number on it towards the Black Reaper, who looked up to take the paper. "We'll leave Osaka tomorr-" She suddenly noticed the expression of the Contractor changed to one of horror as he stared at something behind her. "Hei?"

Hei's eyes widened in terror as he saw a glimpse of the already vanishing Observer Spirit. "Yin!" The bowl clattered on the tabletop as he jumped to his feet and left the store in a desperate run.

* * *

A/N: So what do you think? Comments and criticism are welcomed. Reviews make me write faster…


	11. Chapter 11

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

A/N: Big thanks for the reviews, of fan and fic, tityuio and Monotufu. Sorry this update took so long, but this week was a little stressful.

* * *

Chapter 11

"Yin!" He crouched down next to her beat up body and the paramedics tending to her. "Yin!" Gently, as if afraid he might hurt her even more, his trembling fingers tugged her blood soaked hair from her features, revealing a large gash on her forehead.

"Sir, please stay away. We have to bring her to the hospital." One man said and helped his colleague to place the unconscious Doll onto a stretcher. "It looks worse than it is, though." He added and wheeled her away as his partner readjusted the oxygen-mask on her nose and mouth.

His heart was beating hard in his chest as Hei looked around himself and took in the cat's dead body and the corpse of a man next to his daughter's sand moulds. "Bai." His heart felt like it was torn apart. He got to his feet and stormed inside the police exclusion zone. Two police men tried to stop him but he pushed them away till he stood in front of Kouno and Saito, a squirrel on his shoulder. "Where's Bai?! Where's my daughter?!"

"We are already looking for a dark green Toyota, Mao saw them escape with." Kouno tried to calm the agitated man. "Go with your … Doll to the hospital, Li-san." He wasn't sure if calling her his 'wife' was appropriated, or 'girlfriend' for that matter, though he felt a little bad to refer to her as only a Doll, it felt like debasing her. He had met her only once, but she didn't act like an empty puppet waiting for the next order, not like Emerald.

"We'll keep you up to date with our investigation." Saito promised and saw their boss approach, catching her breath. "The entire police are already informed and looking for your child. There's nothing you can do, Li-kun."

Hei's chin tightened. "You say." With an unreadable expression he looked at the rodent. "Which way did they go, Mao?"

The former cat pointed his tiny hand down a path. "The car drove north towards the highway."

Without a further word the Contractor pushed past the two men and ran towards the park's exit, pulling his wire hook from his belt as soon as he was near a high building.

Kouno stared at the squirrel. "Why did you tell him? He'll just get himself killed!"

Misaki shook her head. "It's fine. Hei isn't one to calmly sit and watch at the sidelines. He'll be fine." She faced the animal. "You'll help with the investigations, Mao. Keep me up to date about every tiny detail you find. I'll accompany his Doll to the hospital for further questioning." With that she turned around and hurried to the ambulance car.

"We found a bag with that black dust with the body, Chief!" Saito screamed after her and she only lifted her cell up, signaling him that he should call her.

* * *

It was late in the afternoon and he had searched for more than two hours unsuccessfully every dark back-alley and abandoned warehouse, he had come across. The cargo area at the harbor would have been his next stop, but it was in the opposite direction the kidnappers escaped to and so he decided to stop by the hospital on his way there. He needed to know that Yin was at least safe and not in danger, calming his stained nerves somewhat.

In the emergency room a nurse had told him that Yin had been transferred to the second floor and so, he was now rushing through the long and cold corridors until he saw Misaki speak with a man wearing a white lab coat. He skipped the pleasantries. "How is she, doctor?"

The older man took in the unreadable expression of the black haired Contractor. "You are her husband?" The physician continued after Hei's nod in confirmation. "She has a bad laceration on the head, concussion and some bruises." His features looked extremely concerned. "She's very traumatized, but refuses to speak with anyone. She only says that she's fine." The young woman was almost catatonic. If she hadn't tears shimmer in her eyes, he would have thought her one of those Dolls he had heard of in the news, but on the other hand, the attack on her seemed to have been very traumatic for her.

"Can I see my wife?" It wasn't really a question.

"Sure, but she needs to rest."

Hei was already pushing past the two towards the room, they stood in front of. When he opened the door, the lone figure sitting on the bed turned her head towards him, big tears pooled in her purple eyes, yet she struggled to let them fall. The Black Reaper carefully approached her, taking in her sickly appearance, clad in a hospital gown and hooked up to an IV. Suddenly, the picture of his Yin lying unconscious in that sarcophagus-like chamber, lifeless and naked, appeared before his mind's eye, rooting him to the spot.

Yin had pushed the desperate worry that tore at her heart to the back of her mind for the time being. This was quite easy for her, she was a Doll after all, and the rational part of her mind told her that hysterical tears wouldn't help to find her baby girl either. Bai needed her to be strong and rational. Hei needed her to cover a greater area. There was no place for emotions now. And yet, when she had heard the heavy footfalls and felt that comforting dark presence draw nearer, her control and composure were about to break into thousand little pieces. Her lower lip quivered and her thin arms lifted to where her intuition told her her beloved husband stood. "Hei." The word came out in a sob.

In all the years he had known her, Hei had never seen this enormous fear swim in her purple orbs. Her misery, even though her eyes were the only hint that gave her away, broke the Black Reaper's heart. "Yin." In an instant, he had her trembling frame in his strong embrace, her hands fisting the back of his dark blue shirt while she buried her face in the crook of his neck and shoulder. Her pent-up tears flowed freely down her pale cheeks. Hei cradled her even closer to his chest, his features hidden in her long silver-white locks. His large hand began stroking her back in soothing circles, his own eyes and cheeks wetted by tears.

Outside the open door stood two onlookers. "I'm relieved. Crying is the best therapy sometimes." The doctor said and walked away, leaving Misaki to close the door to Yin's room, giving the two some privacy. In this moment the ex-cop decided to refrain from calling the other woman a Doll. She was hardly something you could describe as an empty shell - on the contrary she was a person with emotions. And somehow Misaki doubt that it was only a cover-up when Hei had referred to her as his wife.

The brunette decided to call her Yin, even when she was only talking about her. The files of the old Syndicate Kobayashi had sent her about Hei and his Doll were rather meager when it came to the silver-haired medium. She didn't even have an alias. Just her codename.

* * *

Inside the sterile hospital room Yin had calmed down and was leaning a little bit back, her almost sightless eyes searching for her lover's ones. "I'm sorry, Hei."

Shaking his head, Hei wiped her tears from her eyes before cupping her cheek gently. "It's not your fault. I should have been there with you." His thumb brushed a strain of her bangs away, revealing a large patch. The wound beyond it had surely been stitched.

Yin's hands reached for his face, her fingers running tenderly over his cheekbones until they were at the back of his head, so she could carefully pull his face towards hers - till their foreheads rested against each others. "You can't be always around us, Hei. I know you want to, but it's not possible."

"But-"

She shook her head, their foreheads rubbing somewhat against each other's. "'Always' and 'forever' are irrational and you know it." She heard him sigh in defeat and somehow knew he was closing his eyes. "Though I like their meaning."

This made him smile weakly at her and he brushed a quick kiss onto her cold and dry lips. "We have to get back looking for her." Though the absence of her specter told him that she was already at it. Hei leaned back and fetched one of their old radios from his trousers' pockets – he had made a quick stop at their apartment to get his gears and the communication devices.

* * *

A/N: What do you think? Like? Hate?


	12. Chapter 12

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

A/N: Big thanks for the reviews, of fan and fic, vfergus, Monotufu and tityuio. I had planned to update next Friday, but your nice words made me write faster.

Just one thing: In my opinion when Michiru (the cake-baking Contractor) was killed by her own powers, it wasn't Izanami, but Yin herself. I think she tried to safe Suou - the girl Hei took care of. It seemed to be Yin when her specter appeared next to Hei that evening when he wasn't able to see it anymore and not Izanami.

Oh and there are some references to the DTB manga 'Shikkoku no Hana'. So, minor spoiler-alert (but really not much)

* * *

Chapter 12

The sun had set and the fake stars sparkled in the night sky. Yin wished the moon hadn't vanished all those years ago; she really loved to bath in its silver rays. When she was still little and sad, its bright light had made her always feel better. But now… it was gone, just like her daughter.

Had they been a little quicker with their search then her beautiful baby girl would be back in her arms right now. Yet, everything she could do was to identify the men, who had taken her precious girl away and helping Hei in finding the buyer's car, what had been another dead end.

The squirrel sat on the Doll's lap frowning – at least as good as a rodent could do this. "Yin?" When she didn't react, he eventually took her index-finger into his tiny hands and squeezed tenderly – cursing the fact that he was so small now.

Yin felt something move her finger and remembered that she wasn't alone. Her head turned to where she guessed her former partner sat. "Mao?"

"You were spacing out." With her sightless eyes and her usually vacant gaze, it had been hard to tell at first, but when the young woman didn't react onto him calling her name, instead her view kept pinned out of the window, Mao was sure she was caught up in her thoughts and not concentrating on her Observer Spirit as he had assumed at first.

Hours before, Yin's specter had appeared before him and demanded to be filled in onto the little information they had and about Mao's testimony of the incidence. The former cat knew that she wanted to make sure their stories matched. He was still baffled about her independence and her evaluation of the situation.

The comfortable silence dragged on and Yin held her hand in front of the animal, waiting for him to sit down onto her open palm, before she spoke in her even and quiet voice. "Thank you, Mao… For your help."

"Feh, I wasn't really any use…" He scrutinized her expression. It was as stoic as always, yet somehow he could tell she was beyond sad and worried. He just couldn't pinpoint how he got this impression. "You've gotten incredible strong, Yin." Mao eventually said.

"It wasn't enough, though."

* * *

In the waiting room of the hospital, Hei had met up with Misaki, Saito and Kouno for information exchange. The Contractor was frustrated and fear was nagging on his heart, yet his demeanor was professional as always. "The kidnappers' bodies are near the harbor. Cargo area." Hei informed Misaki and her subordinates and saw her expression. "It wasn't me. They were already dead." He bought a coffee from a vending machine. "A homeless saw them sell her about two hours ago. The buyer killed them."

"Do you know any details about the buyer?" Misaki had her arms crossed before her chest and listened carefully.

"Three males, two in suits, one looking military. The car was a silver Honda. Most likely stolen. I found one a few streets away, burned out."

"How did you find all this, Li-san?" Kouno was indeed impressed. They had tried to use Emerald to find any traces, but the boy had only came up with three Toyotas matching the description, but none of their owners were involved into the kidnapping, let alone their cars.

Hei had other things on his mind than explaining real investigation work to the man. "What do you have, Misaki?"

The woman lowered her voice, those were confidential information after all, even if they were the only ones in the room. "Not much. We had the Black Dust found by the dead kidnapper analyzed. But they were unable to get any specific data about its effects and chemical composition."

"It's from inside the Gate." Hei concluded and heard Kouno and Saito's objections to tell a civilian about this stuff.

But Misaki carried on nonetheless. "Yet they found similarities to a plant, you should also know of, Hei. The Black Dandelion."

His eyes widened ever so slightly in recognition. "I thought those were all destroyed." Hei sipped from the hot liquid and leaned against the white hospital wall, next to Yin's specter, who immediately hugged his free arm.

"The ones in Yokohama disappeared after the meteor shard, that had amplified their growth, was destroyed, but the living plants growing in the sewer system in Tokyo only withered. In the powder was this plant dried, together with another one, I bet that also has its origins inside the Gates."

"Maybe their dealer bought Bai." Yin's specter said in the same even and quiet tone as the real Yin would have.

Hei pondered this thought for a moment. "Possible. If they have the means to get their hands onto stuff from inside the Gates, there must be a large organization behind them."

"But the kidnappers didn't know about me." The Doll took into consideration. Maybe they somehow knew about her daughter's abilities from one of the times the girl had used them in public.

The Black Reaper had turned his head and was now facing his wife's specter. "That means either they didn't inform their hitmen or it was indeed a coincidence and someone got wind of Bai."

"With whom are you talking, Li-kun?" Saito thought it weird that the chief treated this man like an equal when it came to confidential information. She usually only did this with Mao, and Kouno and he only got the 'need-to-know' information. Who the hell was this man? And why was he allowed to call their chief at her first-name?

Misaki glared annoyed at the Black Reaper. "Your Doll's with us, isn't she?" Fine, she didn't want to call her a Doll anymore, but in this moment…

Hei stared funnily at the humans, he had indeed forgotten that the three weren't able to see or hear her – to him the Specter was like a real person at times, the real Yin. "Umm, sorry. We should go to her and Mao." He pushed away from the wall and grasped Yin's 'hand' as he usually did, the Observer Spirit lacing their fingers, as he led the way.

"You do know that it looks funny when you hold the 'air' by the hand, Hei." Misaki said bluntly, but the Contractor only shrugged and opened the door to his wife's room.

Inside, Hei immediately walked up to the bed and hugged Yin, pressing a kiss to her lips while her small hand found his and entangled their fingers, just as her specter had done so a moment before.

Next to her the bed sheet wobbled and the squirrel poked carefully its head out, before climbing back out completely. "It's just you guys!" Mao breathed in relief that it wasn't one of the nurses or the doctor.

Misaki pulled a chair up next to the bed and eyed the couple or more precisely, the young woman. After she had taken the Doll's evidence – already suspicious about a few things – she wanted first to read Mao's version of the kidnapping, before asking directly about the discrepancies. Her chocolate eyes were pinned to the silver-haired woman, which was 'looking' at her, just as her husband. "May I assume that there was more to it than one kidnapper accidently shooting another one?" Saito and Kouno traded a gaze.

"Why do you ask? I thought Mao and I have given the same testimony." Yin's voice was low and even.

Misaki crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back. "Just curious. I mean even if you were somehow involved it was an act in self-defense and I want to safe us the trouble to rewrite your testimony. Not to mention the trouble for Mao." She held eye contact with the rodent.

"You can't let it drop." Mao muttered.

"What really happened?" The Doll paused a moment before answering. "There was a fight." This was all she said, though.

"I have already seen Contractors that had committed suicide. The crime scene somehow reminded me on those 'suicides'." Misaki made quotation marks into the air.

The corners of Yin's mouth lifted somewhat – she kinda liked the older woman's attitude. "I held them with their Contractor powers in place, while I tried to escape. But when I felt one of them slip from my control, I used them against each other. I assume the effect of the Black Dust had worn off and thus his ability with my control on him."

"Yin." Hei was surprised that Yin had not only openly confessed her lie, but also thought it wise to let these people in on her abilities, though Misaki seemed to have already known it.

The brunette nodded pleased. "Fine. Thank you." She turned towards her subordinates. "This seems to confirm our theory that this black dust grants humans only temporarily Contractor abilities. I asked a source at the Astronomy Bureau and she confirmed that exactly at the time of the kidnapping three stars reappeared, but only minutes later two disappeared again while the third fell."

"So, it's indeed normal humans we have to deal with…" Kouno mumbled.

Yin leaned tiredly against Hei's shoulder. "If they had been real Contractors, it hadn't been a problem for me to keep them under control… I think they hadn't taken much of that dust to begin with." The two men stared at her perplexed about her power.

"They hadn't anticipated any resistance." Mao chimed in.

Hei ran absently his fingers through Yin's long hair. "We believe that one of the dealers might have bought our daughter. There must be a big organization behind that black dust."

"You think they also do in child trafficking?" Saito asked, but saw his boss shook her head.

"Not exactly."

Kouno frowned. "What does this mean, chief?" Then his eyes fell onto the worried parents – though neither of them showed any emotion at the moment. "Oh, the baby might be valuable for some people... Her mother is a Doll. This isn't something you come across every day." Not to mention these special powers the silver-haired medium possessed. And was Li a Contractor?

They would leave it at that. Misaki decided that the two didn't need to know more about this special child than they already did – not that she didn't trust them to keep their mouths shut, but still, it wasn't necessary for them to know.

"Yin." Hei looked into the pale eyes of his wife. "Please tell me, when you see one of those dealers selling their stuff." She nodded and her specter vanished.

Misaki watched the Black Reaper kiss the younger woman, before getting to his feet. "What do you have in mind, Hei?" But he approached the door without another word.

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked it. Comments please.


	13. Chapter 13

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

A/N: Big thanks for your reviews, Monotufu, Miwokgirl101 and tityuio. I'm always happy to hear any kind of feedback – this way I know someone really reads this story.

OC description: 

_Emerald_: 10 year old Doll with medium 'shadow'; green eyes and really short brown hair; Asian

_Ivory:_ 13 year old Contractor; manipulating plants; light brown eyes and normal long brown hair (like July's hair length); Asian; Emerald's older brother

* * *

Chapter 13

It had taken him two dealers to torture to finally get some useful information about the location of their supplies. Unluckily this was only a smaller storage, but with the help of this knowledge Kouno had been able to make a connection to a local import-export-corporation.

Since the kidnapping almost four days had passed by. Yin had been released from the hospital and was now together with Hei sitting in Section 9's surveillance van. Next to the couple sat Ivory, Emerald and Kouno, all five persons squished together on the backseat, while Mao sat on Saito's shoulder on the passenger seat. The earth beneath them shook somewhat for the second time that day, but it didn't hinder Misaki to steer the vehicle safely.

Yin had already confirmed that in the two story building a vast quantity of this black dust was stored in large boxes only to be re-packed in small quantities into little paper bags.

"Yin." Hei said and knew there weren't any more words needed. She knew what to do.

"Seven men on the first floor entrance and hall, armed, 15 on the second, three of them in the hallway, two armed, four in front of a large room on the left, last one south from the entrance, armed. The rest of the men are inside that room, not armed but knives and the black dust are within their reach. There are also six Dolls inside this large room. I can't see into the other rooms, no water." By now neither her specter nor she needed direct contact with water anymore, but for her observer spirit to materialize it was still necessary that water was within a two meter radius.

"Emerald, can you look into the other rooms on those floors?" Hei asked, not liking to go in there blind.

The boy nodded and placed his hand onto the shady back of the seat before him. "Three, two with guns. Second room on the right." He tried to imitate the other Doll – the way she had told her findings seemed to be the way the man called Hei liked it.

"Do you see my daughter?"

"Basement."

Hei looked at the boy and guessed that he wasn't a Doll for long or at least not trained how to scout out an area properly. "Is she alone in the basement?"

"No, there are two Dolls and one man."

"Is he armed?" Hei was glad that Yin had known how to do her job even back when they had first met. But then again, she had been already a Doll in ordinary to the Syndicate for almost a decade even back then.

"Yes."

Now it was Yin's turn to question the boy – this made the teenager Contractor look strangely at her. "Did those Dolls see you?"

"Yes."

"Did they tell the man about you?" The silver-haired woman stared into the space before herself the entire time, appearing to any bystander like spaced out.

"No." Emerald didn't add that those Dolls weren't even able to speak - they hadn't their minimal programming yet. No one has asked him for this piece of information.

"Hei, I want to come with you." Yin whispered and the Black Reaper nodded, squeezing her tighter to himself. Ivory looked for a split second startled at the female Doll – but then he got the emotions under wraps like any good Contractor did.

The building came into sight and Misaki stopped the car just around the corner to don't raise any suspicion. All left the vehicle except for the young boy, who needed a direct order to do so.

"You two better stay here in the car." Kouno ordered, but Hei pushed him to the side, while slipping out of his green jacket and fishing a black-green cloth from the back of his jeans, shaking it out to the tattered coat's full length.

"Li?" "This outfit…" Kouno and Saito shared a look.

Hei unbuttoned his white shirt and revealed his black skin-tight suit beneath with his gear belt. From a holster on his leg – beneath his black pants – he retrieved his two knives. "We go in from above. Give us three minutes, then use the commotion to attack them from the first floor."

Misaki gave the Contractor a hard stare, but eventually nodded. "Fine. But leave someone alive for later interrogation."

"Chief?!"

Ivory shook his head as he watched Yin wrap her arms around the other Contractor's torso. "You take that useless Doll with you? I won't have a look out for her. If she comes into my way and won't move, she's done for."

"Stupid, brat! You should not cross HER way." Mao spat while Hei adjusted his battered mask and shot his grappling hook unto the roof of the neighbored building and grasped Yin tightly, both vanishing into the space above.

"Chief, that's BK-201!" Saito exclaimed, but her expression told him that this information was not new. "You knew?"

Misaki saw the shock on the faces of her two long-time subordinates. "Since the Tokyo Explosion. He is not our enemy." Her gaze turned to the young Contractor. "Ivory you'll stay in the back and don't do something reckless! Everyone take your flashlights, he might fry the entire electronics in the building." She took the offered semi-automatic machinegun from Kouno.

"What?! I should stay back!" The boy shouted agitated, but was ignored by his boss.

"Should I call back-up?"

Mao had jumped into the pocket of Misaki's coat, his head poking forth, while all five made their way towards the building stealthily. The brunette shook her head. "No, Saito. We are BK-201's back-up."

They waited in the shadows of a large maple tree for the Black Reaper to start the assault. Suddenly the eerie silence was broken by gunshots. The first salvo was soon followed by a second and a third.

"Chief, this doesn't sound good." Kouno said just as a man was thrown through a window from the second floor and landed on the hard concrete next to his partner while lightening flared in the building and screams of agony were to be heard.

Ivory stared gaping. "What the hell?!"

Misaki turned her flashlight on. "It's enough commotion. We should go in." She carefully approached the entrance, her team right behind her. Saito opened the door and immediately took cover next to a shelf while Kouno and Misaki fired at the first two men they saw. Some of the guards had apparently left for the second floor, but one came back down the stairs, his finger at the trigger. But before he could shoot at Kouno, a grass blade slung itself first around his leg, then his torso and eventually around his neck, squeezing and cutting into his flesh. The man let go of his gun and his hands tried to tear the plant from his neck as he struggled for air– in vain.

A shiver ran up Kouno's spine as he watched the red glowing eyes of the teenager Contractor. The sound of a shot pulled Kouno from his frozen state. The last guard left had fired at his chief, but she dodged behind a crate in time, giving Saito the chance to shoot him in the shoulder and Kouno used this moment to disarray him. After enchaining the bleeding guy to a metal shelf, he followed the others up the staircase.

On the second floor the fight was still in full swing. Misaki looked carefully around a corner, only to see that the way was clear: the entire corridor was paved with corpses. She stepped over the bodies and approached the fighting noise, leading her to a large room. In front of it stood a man wrapped in a blue glow. His nose was dirty with dark powder as his arm was broken by an invisible power.

Ivory watched as the silver-haired Doll stood next to a tall man, whose bones were crushed one after one till he crumbled to a lifeless heap to the floor. The young woman then turned on her heel and walked into the room, where Hei was electrocuting the last guard – his wire tightly slung around the man's neck.

Kouno shared a fearsome gaze with Saito as both took in the countless bodies surrounding the legendary Black Reaper. Most were as usual without any wounds, but two or three had deep cuts from the man's knives and were lying in puddles of their own blood. When BK-201 approached them, a bad feeling enveloped the two former policemen – the mask being even creepier on a closer sight.

Hei's gaze travelled over the bodies of his victims. He couldn't get off the feeling that he knew one of the men from somewhere – but this didn't matter at the moment. "How many do you have?" He asked while catching his breath.

"Only three." Misaki muttered, still astonished about the man's power – no wonder that they never caught him.

"Then, there should only be the one in the basement be left." His masked gaze turned to the six motionless Dolls standing in a corner – Yin had told them to stay there out of the line of fire. "You stay here." With those words, he walked past Section 9, Yin like always on his heels – a few droplets of blood splattered across her face that were obviously not hers, but didn't bother her either.

Ivory stared wide-eyed at the Observer Spirit before him, while the real Yin left the room. "This is the Doll's specter?" He had thought the entire time that this had been the Doll herself.

Saito and Kouno, who didn't see the specter, were baffled by the expression of the young Contractor. "What's wrong with it?"

The boy couldn't take his eyes of the human looking Observer Spirit. "It's not supposed to look like this." He watched the ghost lift its arm and place its index-finger in a hush-gesture onto its lips, before vanishing.

"We should also get down." Misaki said and hurried after the Black Reaper.

* * *

A/N: Like? Hate? The action has started, I hope you aren't too disappointed.


	14. Chapter 14

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

A/N: Big thanks for your reviews, Monotufu, vfergus, InflatedChimp and tityuio. I was a little busy with decorating the house for Christmas – we had almost 13°C outside, so it was quite comfortable to do so, this week's forecast says the temperatures shall drop below zero with snow.

OC description: 

_Emerald_: 10 year old Doll with medium 'shadow'; green eyes and really short brown hair; Asian

_Ivory:_ 13 year old Contractor; manipulating plants; light brown eyes and normal long brown hair (like July's hair length); Asian; Emerald's older brother

* * *

Chapter 14

Hei tried his best to keep his emotions under check. The fear for his little girl grew the closer he got to her location – he knew this was irrational. But thoughts about that last man down there panicking and killing his daughter just seconds before he would save her would make his heart heavy with horror. But he needed to be pure logical, if he wanted his daughter back safe and sound. He needed to act like a real Contractor just a moment longer. When his feet touched the concrete floor of the basement, his ears caught the muffled sounds of a baby crying. Crying was good, that meant she was alive.

With a deep breath he pushed his worries to the back of his mind and buried them deep under the rational mask that had kept him and his family alive all those years. Almost as fast as a lightening, Hei broke the door open and threw his double bladed knife at the man. The sharp weapon tore into the man's leg and he went to his knees immediately with a scream in agony. While blood poured from the wound he tightened his hold on his gun and fired at the black man wearing that haunting mask – the one he had heard of in tales. "Black Reaper! Die!"

Hei walked forward, his eyes glued to his prey. The two bullets would have dug themselves into his chest if it weren't for his bulletproofed coat – the ragged piece of cloth had seen better days, but he could still rely on its protection nonetheless. While he disarmed the trembling man with his foot on the man's hand – the one holding the weapon - Yin had approached the open crate that had been turned into a makeshift crib with two pillows and a blanket. As if the fight only meters away from her wouldn't take place, the young woman lifted the wailing form of her daughter up into her arms, turning her back on Hei and the child's guard just in case, as she cradled the girl close. "Bai."

The feared Black Reaper placed his gloved hand onto the man's forehead, holding him there with ease. "Misaki? You already got your man for interrogation?"

"Umm, yes…" Misaki grasped too late what Hei's question implied and so she had to watch him send blue lightening into his victim's head. She could have saved that man's life…

Without a second thought about his latest victim, Hei got to his feet and took off his mask. His expression didn't betray him as a Contractor as he approached his family – passing by the shocked humans, only Mao and the boy-Contractor weren't startled or shaken about his effective and merciless kill; Ivory had already started with his remuneration: digging his fingernails into his arm and scratching the skin open, drawing blood. He bit his lower lip in pain.

Misaki glanced one last time at the poor human's form, before her eyes fell upon the silver-haired Doll and the way she gazed with her hooded purple eyes down onto the slowly calming baby. Her pale fingers ran gently over the child's head and cheeks, before she brushed a kiss onto her forehead. Hei walked up and leaned into Yin's side slinging his arms around his two girls, squeezing them into his broad chest. His callused fingertips stroked tenderly over the creamy skin of his daughter's tiny hand till he eventually took it between his index-finger and thumb, pressing a kiss to her fingers. "Sorry, Bai. This should have never happened to you." Hei whispered and Yin rested her head against his shoulder. The anxiety and stain of the last few days finally caught up with the relieved parents.

There were no tears of joy or bright smiles, yet Misaki could tell there was definitively love there between the Contractor and his Doll and for their child. She carefully approached them and eyed the now calm baby. "Is she fine?"

The young mother tore her 'gaze' from her child and nodded. "She doesn't seem hurt." Her specter had immediately taken a closer look onto the tiny girl.

"That's good to hear." Misaki smiled and turned to her subordinates. "We need to gather all evidences and data available.

Saito looked around startled. "Where are the Dolls Emerald spoke of?"

"In those crates." Yin pointed her slender finger towards the closed wood-boxes behind the big man. "They haven't any programming yet." Hei loosened his embrace and wiped the droplets of blood from Yin's pale features with his sleeve before placing a kiss onto her silver head.

"What- ho- how?" He stared at her a moment perplexed before helping Kouno opening one of the boxes. And just like Yin had said, inside was a young male Doll, only a cloth wrapped about his lower regions. "This is not right." Saito muttered as he took in the teenager lying in the straw like some item ready for shipping.

Yin approached the ex-cop, Bai firmly in her arms. "Dolls are only goods to almost all humans and even Contractors. Why wasting money on a replaceable good's comfort, that won't complain?" Her voice was emotionless and just above a whisper.

Saito stared at her with mixed feelings. "It's still not right, Yin-san." The 'san' came out without a further thought – she was a person, not a thing.

"I never said it was, Saito-san." Yin's almost sightless eyes turned to the second Doll, a young woman, Kouno had just 'unpacked'. "Stand up, please." Both Dolls obeyed her command robot-like.

Meanwhile the Black Reaper had returned to the corpse and was busy with pulling his blade from his leg. Misaki frowned as she watched him wipe the blood away on the dead man's shirt. "Why are you suddenly collecting your knives, Hei?"

The Contractor saw the brunette approach from the corner of his eyes. "Those are my last ones." The last years had been hard and filled with fights. He had only one set of blades as back-up left – in a small town at Hokkaido. All his other 'safe-houses' were short of weapons and sometimes even money – he was always well-considered to have his hideouts stocked up with everything necessary to start over, just in case they had to leave everything behind – but the last couple of years this had been not always possible.

Misaki took in the battered coat and the scratched mask – there were even a few pieces missing on its edges. Wondering about what this man had really had to endure the last years, she fetched a chocolate bar from her pocket and offered it Hei. "Here, it's not much, but maybe it's enough for your remuneration."

The Black Reaper got to his feet, his eyes widened in bewilderment – reminding her of Li-kun for a moment. "My remuneration?"

"Yes, isn't your Contract Payment eating like ten men?" Everyone was looking at the two – Mao had climbed from the pocket and was now sitting on the woman's shoulder, a grin on the squirrel's features.

Hei stared at Misaki dumb folded, his dark blue eyes still huge – the other members of Section 9 were astonished by this human expression of the feared Black Reaper. "Well, no."

"He's a gluttony."

"Yin!" Hei whirled around to face his wife's stoic expression and to cover up his embarrassment.

"I can't believe it, Hei's blushing." Mao chuckled and jumped onto a crate. "He has no Contractor Payment."

Hei looked quite annoyed at the speaking squirrel, but turned his back on him and approached the staircase to the upper-floors – he wanted to have a closer look at the files. Yin, holding their daughter closely, was immediately by his side.

Kouno saw his boss follow BK-201 – it felt still surreal for him to be on the same site as the 'cursed' Contractor. "Chief, what shall we do with the Dolls?"

Misaki contemplated the situation for a moment longer. They could gather the evidences and data, but for the 'cleaning' and transport of their findings, they needed a larger vehicle and more people. "I'll call Hazuki. She should bring a retrieval team asap." The brunette fished her cell from her long coat. "For now, order them to come with you. There isn't anything important down here." They had already given the room a quick inspection.

Kouno did as told and observed the two Dolls warily as they staggered out of the crates. "Compared to them, Emerald is an epitome of emotion…"

* * *

Back on the second floor Saito had finished removing the HDDs from the five computers and was now looking over his boss' and BK-201's shoulder onto a stack of print-outs they were inspecting. "What's this?"

"A list with names, addresses and if those people are Contractors, Moratoria or Dolls, together with their abilities." Misaki thought this very interesting. That list might come in handy.

"That's what they needed the many Dolls for." Mao contemplated, from the corner of his eyes he watched the six Dolls stand motionlessly in a corner surrounded by corpses.

The brunette nodded. "You're right. To track the buyer of their black dust and see what their ability would be."

"This doesn't sound like a drug-dealer at all. More like an experiment." Hei didn't like their findings. They had stumbled about something big. One part of him told him to vanish for good with his family, but the rational part – and maybe a little curiosity was also thrown into the mix – made him reconsider this option. Yin had already said that this dust was dealt with almost everywhere. There was no hiding. And in the long run it was always best to know what was going on. This way he couldn't be surprised by any events.

"At least we have now our hand onto the black dust supply of this city." Misaki's voice brought Hei back from his thoughts. There wasn't anything else to uncover anymore. Thus, the Black Reaper pushed the papers to the former cop and approached his wife and child. Without a word he slung his arm about Yin's waist, his gloved hand resting on her hip, as she fell into step beside him, nearing the door.

Kirihara looked up startled as she saw the Contractor leave. "Hei?" The man stopped in his tracks and waited for Misaki to continue, his back to her. "Does our deal still stand?" She wasn't sure if he still wanted to return to the life of an agent and assassin after all that had happened the last few days. She saw him squeeze Yin tighter to his body. After a long moment, maybe the two had whispered something, he nodded his dark head.

"Yes."

With this word they had left and Misaki's chocolate orbs travelled through the room – and over the countless bodies. Her eyes narrowed slightly in annoyance. "And we have to clean up behind him… just like always…"

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked it Feedback please!


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for my OCs.

A/N: Your many reviews and feedback made me immensely happy! Thanks so much, Monotufu, Tyloris, tityuio, fearme80, DarkerThanEvanescence, of fan and fic.

_ of fan and fic: _the meteor shard mentioned in chap 12 is the one from the Manga Shikkoku no Hana. So there are until now 3 shards mentioned in the DtB universe: The one Bai used for the Heaven's Gate incidence, the one for the Tokyo Explosion (which seemed to be thrown to Russia, where Shion found it for Season 2) and the one in the manga.

I already have an idea what the shards are and why they look like glass – wait for later chapters.

Ivory's payment was already explained in chapter 14: He has to scratch his arms bloody – I came upon this after re-watching episode 1 and Louie breaking his fingers.

No, I meant 'rational part', maybe re-read the passage again to get the sense.

Misaki's and Hei's deal was if he would join Section 9.

_DarkerThanEvanescence_ told me about the character's ages. When I started this story, I assumed Yin to be 18 in Season 1 that would make her 23 in here. Apparently her official age for season 1 was 17, so she is 22 now in this story. And for the ones of you disturbing themselves about her being so young with a child, she had Bai one month before her 22nd birthday.  
And Hei is 27 now.

OC description: 

_Emerald_: 10 year old Doll with medium 'shadow'; green eyes and really short brown hair; Asian

_Ivory:_ 13 year old Contractor; manipulating plants; remuneration: scratching himself bloody; light brown eyes and normal long brown hair (like July's hair length); Asian; Emerald's older brother

_Bai:_ 8 months old Contractor with telekinetic power; no remuneration; light brown hair and dark blue eyes

* * *

**This takes place almost a month after chapter 14:**

Chapter 15

Mayu felt like walking on clouds. That incredible handsome guy with the beautiful collarbones, Kiko had showed her years ago, was now standing in front of her and was her new colleague. "Welcome to Section 9, I'm Ootsuka Mayu." She had gathered all her courage to walk up to this gorgeous man, who wore a white button-up – the top buttons undone – under a black suit and smiled at her brightly.

After bowing to the young brunette before him, Hei took in the office. Saito and Kouno had risen to their feet and approached them, while Hazuki – the surprise on her face had vanished quickly – Ivory and Emerald remained in the farther end of the room, observing everything.

Kouno was a little shocked about the revelation that no other than BK-201 was their new agent. "Li-san?!" Why hadn't Kirihara said something?

The squirrel sitting on a desktop looked up from his food. "Oi, Hei, you finally showing up."

The Black Reaper faced the animal. "You could have told me that there are two American checkpoints between my apartment and here. I'll allow extra time from now on." His dark blue orbs swept over the faces of his new team and came to a sudden stop at the Ootsuka girl, gapping at him and Mao. "Is something wrong?"

Mayu's gaze switched from the rodent to the man and back. "We- well, why aren't you surprised? I mean, umm, well…" She pointed at the animal.

"I think Hei came across weirder things than a speaking cat." Mao said and resumed eating his hazelnut.

"You are aware that you are a squirrel again and not a cat, Mao." Hei kept up his 'Li'-act, his eyes huge and kind.

The rodent stared annoyed at his old friend. "I just got used to my new body and then it has to end up as a sieve."

"I could take you to the animal shelter and you chose a new body." He really meant it. Though it had advantages for Mao to be a really small rodent with miniature hands – fitting into every bag – a cat was after all a predator and would catch squirrels easily…

Mayu was a little confused. She seemed to be the only one, who didn't know this Li-san. "Do you know each other?"

Hei faced the young woman, his face all sweet Li. "Oh, right, you weren't there in Osaka." He smiled a little sheepishly. "I'm Li Shengshun. Nice to meet you."

"Stop the acting, Hei, she's your partner now." Mao jumped onto Hei's shoulder, the man had never minded him doing so and neither did now. "And why do you keep your old alias?" He paused a moment. "I thought you are listed here as Li Ming-hoa." At least his apartment was rented under this name and his money would be transferred to this alias identity.

Li's demeanor changed immediately. He leaned against a desk, his expression suddenly unreadable and his eyes half-closed and cold. "I'm back in Tokyo where I'm known as Li Shengshun. It would be irrational to use another alias here. This cover was never blown. Except for Misaki, who eventually made the connection." He crossed his arms over his chest. "Nevertheless, in Section 9 I'm Li Ming-hoa, but for my assignments I'll resurrect Li Shengshun." He didn't want that any leftovers from the old Syndicate would recognize him by his Li Shengshun alias and immediately know that the Black Reaper didn't even work now for Section 9 but has apparently wife and child.

Misaki smiled proudly, standing next to Hei. "May I introduce our new field-agent and man for undercover jobs, BK-201 also known as the Black Reaper."

"Or known as the man you hunted for years unsuccessfully." Mao muttered.

"Mao…" Hei mumbled back in a warning.

Misaki shot the squirrel an annoyed glare, while Mayu kept staring at Hei. "BK-201, yo- you are a Contractor?! The BK-201?!" Hei nodded, his eyes emotionless, the opposite from a moment before. "But you didn't seem like one a minute ago!"

Mao climbed onto Hei's head. "That's why he's the best to do undercover missions, no one would think him a Contractor." _'Other than that ice-cold bitch Hazuki…'_

From behind her back Misaki retrieved a silver metallic suitcase and placed it onto the table opposite from their new Contractor. "Your new gears, Hei." She opened the bag and revealed several of his masks, knives and other useable weapons.

Mao didn't miss the twitch of the corners of his mouth as the Black Reaper lifted the new belt and knife-holder out of the suitcase and immediately slipped out of his jacket, to get into the gear. The rodent chuckled. "Who had thought Hei would look like a kid at Christmas Eve."

The other Contractor ignored the comment, while Misaki also smiled, another bag in her hands. "Then let's see his face when he sees this." This made Hei look towards his new boss, who held his new 'old' coat in front of him.

"Wow, thank you." He let go of the knives and slipped into the coat, a smile on his face. "Is it bullet-proved?"

"Of course. With a little help of Madam O we got a hold on the blueprints of the old Syndicate." Misaki was glad BK-201 was finally on their side. "And some knives are even from your old stock, we got our hands on."

"Now you don't look like a bummer anymore, Hei." Mao chimed from the man's head – holding onto Hei's black hair while the man changed.

Meanwhile Hazuki had approached, her arms crossed about her chest, and her piercing gaze on Hei. "BK-201."

The Black Reaper's smile vanished as he scrutinized the other Contractor. "Are you holding a grudge?" He said after a while, though he knew grudges were irrational, but Hazuki had been quite emotionally involved when it came to Youko's death.

Hazuki stared Hei directly into the eye – no one of them ready to look away first and giving the other one the satisfaction. Then, without warning the woman balled her fist and punched Hei hard into the face, causing him to make a step backwards to regain his balance.

After their last encounter this reaction didn't really surprise Hei, he had braced himself for something like this. "Can you at least work with me?" He wiped away the little blood that had gathered on the corner of his mouth – his Contractor-pokerface still in place. Their colleagues traded worried gazes, anticipating a fight, not knowing the reason for Hazuki's obvious anger. But to their relief the female Contractor nodded curtly.

Misaki felt bad to have completely forgotten about Youko and turned to face the other woman. "I'm sorry, Hazuki. I should have told you beforehand about Hei joining us."

"You should have." Her glare didn't leave the other Contractor for long moments. Then she turned on her heel and was about to walk back to her former spot when Hei's voice stopped her.

"I didn't torture her. I only gave her truth serum."

"I know the autopsy report." _'Every tiny detail Genma did to her.'_ She slowly turned around. "It's irrational to try to explain your actions." Her gaze was on the man. "Or is it guilt?" _'That smile a moment ago… Did he really get his powers back? Is he indeed a Contractor again?'_

"I did what was necessary." Hei's stoic expression didn't alter. "I won't apologize for what I had to do to get her back."

'_That Doll… it was just a Doll… but Youko…'_ Hazuki bit down her comment, just like she ignored the dull ache in her heart. "Are you sure you aren't the one holding a grudge against us, BK-201?" They had held his Doll captive after all, though it should have been nothing more than a replaceable thing to him.

His face was still impassive, although he was surprised about her question. He knew that they had to do something to keep Izanami from awakening and the most rational decision would have been to kill Yin back in Hong Kong before that thing had been able to kill hundreds and creating a new Gate. But if they hadn't been keen on her power as Anti-Contractor weapon, Hei wouldn't have had a real chance on separating his Yin from Izanami. "As long as your Syndicate isn't after her, I have no problem with you guys."

"She's alive?" Hazuki was surprised, but didn't show it. "It's also your Syndicate now." She said and resumed her way to the back of the room.

"Saito? Do you know about whom they are talking?" Kouno whispered carefully not sure if both Contractors had 'cooled down' or not – it was hard, if not impossible to tell by their expressions.

The big man answered in a low voice. "How should I? I didn't even know that the two know each other…"

* * *

A/N: So, Hei finally has a new mask, coat and gears, yeah!

I planned this update for Monday, but all the reviews made me write faster. So what do you think of this first part of day one at Hei's new job?


	16. Chapter 16

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing, otherwise there would be another season out by now.

A/N: You guys are really great! Thanks for the many reviews, Monotufu, DarkerThanEvanescence, InflatedChimp, tityuio, fearme80, CrimsonUltimatum, of fan and fic.

This update took a little longer than expected, but this chapter is much longer than the others (5 pages in word, the others were only 3).

_InflatedChimp_: I completely forgot the theory of Schroeder (I kinda dislike this hyperactive geek), yet I believe that the meteor shard in the manga was really destroyed, when Misaki shot at it with the anti-gate-particle-device, but in the end it could be just reappearing somewhere else… It's also really interesting to watch the different translations, I'm currently rewatching the German dub but also the English fansubs and there are sometimes significant differences in the meaning and I really wonder what differences are to the original Japanese (I really have to get back to study this language, sigh) or the English dub version.

OC description: 

_Emerald_: 10 year old Doll with medium 'shadow'; green eyes and really short brown hair; Asian

_Ivory:_ 13 year old Contractor; manipulating plants; remuneration: scratching himself bloody; light brown eyes and normal long brown hair (like July's hair length); Asian; Emerald's older brother

_Bai:_ 8 months old Contractor with telekinetic power; no remuneration; light brown hair and dark blue eyes

* * *

Chapter 16

After the exchange with Hazuki, Hei had approached the two boys. Ivory sat on a table observing everything. He didn't like it one bit that his boss had employed another Contractor – was she about to get rid of him? This Hei was an incredible capable assassin – there would be no room for him. The boy didn't know what to do without this job – this place to exist. His parents were dead, his brother a Doll. He was a Contractor and Contractors had no rights and no place in this world than an organization like this one to work for as killer. Child care service had been the ones to give them away in the first place.

Hei eyed the teenager. When they had rescued his daughter he had seen the corpse that was obviously strangled by plants. This was a rather ineffective power in a city with little green. "I will train that kid. He won't survive in a real battle."

"What?! You're so full of yourself, old man!" Ivory had jumped down from the tabletop, feeling different strange emotions that he couldn't really name in the back of his mind – hate and anger were easiest to identify and even to act upon them, though most time it was even easier to ignore them. But not in this case. He knew it was irrational to act upon his emotions, yet he couldn't keep his mouth shut. "What's with your Doll? Got a baby-sitter for her or did you lock her in a crate till you come home for some fun?"

Faster than anybody could have reacted to, Hei was next to the mouthy teen and a slap echoed through the room. The boy was like stunned and rubbed his cheek, Hei still face to face with him. "You will never speak of her like that ever again."

Misaki was shocked, just like everyone else – even Hazuki's eyes had widened. "Hei, I won't tolerate you beating children!"

Mao climbed up onto Mayu's shoulder. "I thought that had stopped when you quit drinking, Hei. He's an asshole but this was uncalled for."

"I had my doubts when Suou told me you hit her, but now…" Hei turned slightly so the brunette could face him, his features stoic and unreadable.

"When I think of it, Hei only beat Suou when she used her Contractor powers or when she said something related to–"

"His Doll." Misaki finished. Mao had told her that the Black Reaper had been a broken wreck while they had his Doll. Drinking and uncaring. Unlike the man he once knew. That he would even scream her name in his dreams – so much about Contractors didn't dream, but then again Hei had been stripped off his Contractor abilities and was pretty much a normal human back then. It must have been Yin, who had saved him from the darkness that threatened to swallow him.

Hei ignored the others and scrutinized the boy Doll. "Since when are you like now." He asked the older boy, who stared at him with a faint anger on his features.

"About two years."

"Since the second Tokyo Explosion?" Back then many new stars appeared due to the new Gate completely appearing and the Hell's Gate opening, emitting a huge amount of Gate Particles ever since. Ivory nodded and wondered why the Black Reaper stared at his brother – not that he cared about the other boy, he was simply curious.

Hei took in the really short hair of the 10-year old. "He was in one of those tanks?"

Misaki was surprised, nobody except her and Mao knew about the boy's background. "Yes, till about three months ago. Then he got the basic programming." Back then Goro and her had decided that they would need more Contractors on their teams. When the file of Ivory fell into Misaki's hands, she couldn't do anything else than to see to it that the orphan would get assigned under her command – his story saddened her. At the same time she had seen to it that his brother would be retrieved from their Doll System.

"Are you already getting along with him?" The Black Reaper remembered the rescue of his daughter almost a month before. Back then the boy had been rather 'un-handy' when it came to scouting.

"Huh?" Misaki didn't know what exactly he meant, but Mao jumped closer to the other Contractors. "Not really. He was reset and we are just starting at basically zero."

"Fine then." Hei muttered and crouched down to be on eye-level with the younger boy. "What would you do if you get lost in the city or someone kidnaps you?"

The boy kept staring into the space before him. After a while he answered quietly. "I'm not programmed for this kind of scenario."

"You are right, Hei. I totally forgot that he wouldn't look for help. July was doing this on his own accord." Mao jumped onto his friend's back and run up to the shoulder. "He also needs a few contingency plans."

"I'm already on it." Hei looked the boy into the eyes. "If someone takes you or you get lost, then I want you to send your Observer Spirit to me, Mao, Hazuki, Ivory or my Doll." Humans weren't able to see those blue blobs.

"Understood."

Hei's dead eyes were on the child. "Good. Now I want you to find my Doll."

Everyone watched the boy go over to a large filing cabinet and touch the shady side of the metal. Almost five minutes ticked away till the boy spoke. "Found her."

In the moment he said this, Yin's specter appeared in its blue human-shaped form, but not in its complete human form. Hei quickly gazed at her before facing the boy again. "She'll show you some escape-routes and scenarios for the worst case. I want you to memorize everything." He didn't miss the brief look of curious astonishment on Hazuki's face at the sight of Yin's upgraded observer spirit.

"Understood." Emerald said in his monotone voice and Yin's specter vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"You let your Doll program another Doll?! Are you sure you are a Contractor, cuz this is nuts."

"Are you sure you aren't into being beaten, brat?" Hei countered and Ivory hushed, his eyes still onto the other Contractor, who was now approaching him.

"Hei!" Misaki warned and hated it that Hei's face was as expressionless as any Contractors at times – Li-kun had been easy to decipher, but had all in all never really existed.

"Calm down. I'll just start the brat's training." His eyes were centered on Ivory. "Can you fight without your Contractor powers?"

"What for? I'm a Contractor." The teen leaned lazily against a desk.

"And an idiot." Mao muttered.

"That means 'no' then." Hei shook his head. "You're manipulating plants." The boy nodded. "There aren't everywhere plants. Especially not in a building."

Ivory smirked and pulled a maple leaf from his pants' pocket. "That's why I always have a fresh leaf or blade of grass with me."

Hei stared at the teenager and contemplated this information. "How often can you use one leaf?"

"Umm, well, it withers the faster the more I manipulate it. That's why a real living plant is best. One with a root." Ivory knew that his attacks would be limited with only a single plant part, so he always had secretly two additional parts with him.

"So two or three attacks at best." Hei shook his head. "Pretty useless power without your cheating in plant-less rooms."

"You're one to talk, old man. With those wires, you always have a conducting long-range medium with you. Otherwise your electric attacks were useless on distant targets." The boy's expressionless face showed a faint trace of anger.

Hei smirked as Mao began to fill the teenager in. "You have not the slightest idea, who Hei really is, Ivory. During Heaven's War and even now he's known and feared as the Black Reaper. But back then he wasn't a Contractor." This information made Ivory stare wide-eyed at BK-201, a long lost emotion nagging at the boy: fear. "He had killed countless Contractors with nothing but his normal human abilities – no Contractor powers."

"You fought during Heaven's War?" Kouno was stunned and calculated the man's age.

Hei heard the gasp of Mayu and he didn't need to see the faces of his new colleagues to know what question was on their minds. "I was twelve, when my training with the Syndicate began."

"A child-soldier?!" Mayu's eyes widened. She knew that most Contractors fighting in that war were only children – teenagers at best, but that they might have also used normal human kids as soldiers had never crossed her mind before.

"Can you control the timing of your remuneration or does the Contract Payment simply happen?" Like it had been with his sister or Amber, both girls were at their remunerations' mercy.

"I can postpone it." The boy slowly answered, his cheeky attitude gone for the moment.

"That's at least something." Hei mumbled and pushed a table with a printer on top to the side, so one wall was free. "So, if you don't wanna be helpless and die during a battle, we'll start your training now. Get over there and do a handstand." The Black Reaper ordered and pointed at the wall. "Use both hands for the start. Your arms look weak." The gaze of the boy dug into Hei as the teenager obeyed.

"So and now?" Ivory asked, his hands already hurting after a half minute.

Hei turned around and walked over to his new weapon arsenal. "Stay like that."

"What?!" Ivory's eyes widened in surprise and at first he had thought this a joke, but Hei's demeanor told him he was serious with this order. "Kirihara! You're his boss, do I really have to do this stupid training?" The boy complained and was already using his head to support his body.

Misaki thought this training a little weird as well, but she believed in her new agent. "I guess Suou went through the same training and everyone I met said 'the girl will be fine by herself, BK-201 trained her'… So, do what Hei says." She told the boy and heard Mayu ask Kouno who this Suou is – the man couldn't answer this of course.

Mao jumped onto Misaki's shoulder when Hei passed by his new boss. "I can't wait to see Hei use the office inventory for target practicing."

* * *

"I mean we chased the guy for almost two years and the chief even longer and now we should work with him?" Kouno said and leaned back in his chair in the break room. It wasn't that he didn't like the man – Saito had let him in on his first meeting of Li-kun, the hungry waiter.

Saito sighed and ate his ramen. "This disturbs you? I don't like it that the chief apparently keeps information from us." He swallowed the noodles and watched Hazuki enter the room and immediately pull up a chair next to Ootsuka. The brunette young woman was about to scoot over on her stool and away from the Contractor's reach, but the other woman had her already by the waist and pulled her body flush against her side. Saito envied the Contractor a little about her boldness, yet carried on. "She knew for years who BK-201 was and when we met him on the beach, she's chatting with him like with an old friend instead of arresting him."

"Jealous?" Kouno asked his partner.

A slight blush colored the cheeks of the big man. "No." He saw Ootsuka's curious gaze rest on him while slapping Hazuki's hand away that was closing in on her breasts. "I just mean that the chief seems to know a lot about him and even knows people he worked with. Who's this Suou and why was the Doll of the MI-6 with Li-kun?"

They had figured that Hei had worked with the old Syndicate – together with Mao – and that he had saved and spared Saito's, Kirihara's and even Ootsuka's lives, on the other hand Contractors didn't do unnecessary kills, but the three of them had been on his heels and thus it would have been the rational decision to wait and let Wei kill Kirihara and Saito instead of interfering.

Mayu had been quiet until now, mulling over the handsome man. "He's so different from what I thought him to be." She sighed. "I wonder what his real name is."

"Why did you introduce yourself with your real name anyway, Ootsuka?" Kouno asked. All of them got codenames when they had joined Section 9, but they only called each other by those when they were working outside their office.

"Umm…" Mayu's cheeks flushed rosy as she searched her brains for an answer or good lie – she had been so overwhelmed to see her crush that she had forgotten her alias. "Well…"She was saved when the earth shook and the coffee spilt from Kouno's mug onto his black suit.

"Shit!" The dark blond man cursed and wiped the shirt with a napkin, the lamp above them swinging dangerously from side to side. "Those damn earthquakes!" Hardly a day passed without at least a small quake – some bridges already collapsed under the constant stain.

"You should stop your irrational musings." Hazuki faced the two men sitting at the opposite side of the table. "Ask them directly what bothers you. Everything else is a waste of time."

"Umm, fine." The woman was kind of creepy. The three humans didn't know if this was due to her being a Contractor – she and Ivory were the first of those beings they worked with side by side. "You seem to know Li-kun, Hazuki-san." Saito scrutinized the woman's expression, just there wasn't anything to learn of her stoic features, so he dared to carry on. "About whom have you talked?"

Without a word Hazuki fetched an apple and left the room. "This was obviously the wrong question." Mayu remarked, relieved that she wasn't groped at anymore, though she wouldn't mind BK-201's hands on her body. "Maybe we should ask Mao about it?"

* * *

"So, the guy from Osaka you questioned was useless?" Hei concluded. Misaki's entire team had a briefing to fill their new Contractor in on their main case – the Black Dust – and a few minor murders of Contractors which Section 4 from the police – with a completely new team – couldn't solve.

"All in all, yes." Misaki's nerves were tensed – almost one month had passed and they had still no new information or lead. "The only thing he knew was that this import-export-company employed ex-soldiers, mainly veterans from the Heaven's War, as security."

"Veterans?" Hei suddenly remembered where he might have met one of the men he had killed during the rescue of his daughter. But he decided to keep this to himself for now – after all he didn't know the man's name and this seemed to be just a coincidence.

Kouno nodded. "Their job was to accompany the Black Dust from the harbor and retrieve certain people and wipe everyone's memories, who knew them, with ME." The man eyed his new colleague sitting across from him – his eyes were half closed and seemed spiritless – like dead.

"They had access to ME?" Hei's features didn't show any trace of his surprise. "This speaks of a large organization with influence. They not only get their hands on the plants from inside the Gate in large amounts, but also on top-secret technology." Hei knew that the general public still didn't know of the existence of ME. Only governments and large organizations could get access to this technology. "What kind of people exactly?" Hei inquired further.

"He said mostly Dolls and a few humans that had used their dust." Mayu tried to don't stare at the handsome man; even his impassive features and cold eyes gave him a cool aura.

"This makes it sound like Contractor-trafficking."

"We already have the Doll Network looking for illegal sales of Dolls, but until now we got only one case of a couple trying to sell their own child." This incident had nothing to do with their investigation, but the mere thought made Misaki's gut burn with anger. The parents got only a monetary penalty for not giving notice of their child turning into a Doll – there were still no laws and rights for Contractors and Dolls established - and their daughter was given into custody of childcare services. "I'll meet a contact tomorrow. Let's see what they have for us."

* * *

His first day on his new job was over and all his new team-mates where already gone, all except Mao and Misaki. His dark blue eyes looked over the skyline of Tokyo. It had change a lot since the last time he had been in this city. The repairs on the wall around the Gate were finally finished, yet this was the only positive thing Hei was able to notice. In front of it were countless tanks and soldiers, all Americans, guarding every centimeter of the precious phenomenon.

The skyscrapers and buildings in closer proximity of the Gate had always been abandoned, but now they were in ruins. Obviously the last frontier and main battlefield at the struggle for the Gate's control.

Then there were the countless buildings in danger of imminent collapse due to the almost continuous earthquakes, that were felt all over the planet since the Hell's Gate had opened its core – the light pillar would soon illuminate the night sky of Tokyo – during day, the light from the Gate wouldn't be so obvious as when it was night and dark.

Misaki walked up and sank down onto the tabletop next to him. Her eyes also trained onto the remains of the city she had vowed to protect. "And strife will continue for eternity." She murmured and suddenly felt her companion's questioning gaze on her. Her hands onto the smooth surface of the table, she leaned somewhat back. "That's what the prophecy stated." She sighed. "We are lucky though. The city looked worse two years ago when the Americans took over. But due to the war in China, they had to withdraw almost 2/3 of their armed forces."

Hei didn't say anything, but his gaze resumed to travel over the city.

"Back then we had many more checkpoints and ID-checks on the streets. There were even house searches. I think it was to intimidate the general public. They trashed my apartment twice, but that was all they did, after all I had all sensitive information hidden at a place they wouldn't look. But others weren't as lucky as me. People used to vanish or were taken without reason into custody." Her voice trailed off. Speaking about this difficult topic lifted somehow a weight from her shoulders. It was like years ago when Li-kun had lifted her spirits after her unsuccessful chase of BK-201.

"Much has changed." Hei eventually said.

"Mostly for the worse." Her chocolate eyes were pinned to the lit center of the Hell's Gate. "But I hope with your help, we might be able to give this change a new direction for a better future."

"I'll try my best, Misaki."

"I know." The brunette said and smiled at her companion reassuringly.

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked this long chappie!

Thanks, DarkerThanEvanescence for pointing out that past and present tense of 'reset' is the same.

By the way: When Kouno said they chased Hei for almost two years, I also included the time of their 'resumed chase' in the manga, when Hei and Yin returned to Tokyo for Harvest.


	17. Chapter 17

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

A/N: I love you guys! Thanks for the many reviews, Monotufu, DarkerThanEvanescence, InflatedChimp, tityuio, Maiden of Sin, DarkLightSerafimon, of fan and fic.

_DarkerThanEvanescence_: Thanks for the correction.

_DarkLightSerafimon_: I have Parcel in the back of my mind the entire time and I'll definitively add him/her later in the story. One question: Is Parcel a boy or a girl? I only read the scanlation of the manga and for the first group Parcel was a girl and for the second translation-group the kid was a boy. I'm not sure myself. Is there an official English translation (a.k.a is this manga out in the USA by now – I couldn't find it on amazon)? Or can someone with Japanese-knowledge tell me the gender?

**There is a reference to a special scene of the manga or official fan-book – the onsen omake.**

OC description: 

_Emerald_: 10 year old Doll with medium 'shadow'; green eyes and really short brown hair; Asian

_Ivory:_ 13 year old Contractor; manipulating plants; remuneration: scratching himself bloody; light brown eyes and normal long brown hair (like July's hair length); Asian; Emerald's older brother

_Bai:_ 8 months old Contractor with telekinetic power; no remuneration; light brown hair and dark blue eyes

* * *

Chapter 17

"Hi, Kiko. You won't believe who my new colleague is!" Mayu said as she met her best friend in a café, another young woman – silver-haired and clad in a white skirt and a yellow flowery shirt – sat across from Kiko, each with a sundae in front of them.

"And you won't believe me, who I ran across while looking for a skirt for my new cosplay character!" The pink haired girl said with a bright smile, sliding further inside the booth so the newcomer could join them.

"Me first!" Mayu argued and was almost bursting with the news. "That incredible handsome guy with the beautiful collarbones from the noodle-store you showed me years ago!"

"What!? He's back in Tokyo!?" Kiko screamed immediately knowing whom she meant. "I envy you! You can ogle him the entire day!"

Mayu was about to make a witty remark, when a loud cry next to their table made her look at the other girl, who lifted a wailing baby from the stroller. "Shhh, Bai." The silver-haired woman kissed the cranky infant's cheek and placed her onto her lap.

"Sorry, I'll be quieter from now on." Kiko promised and looked to her best friend. "This is Kirsi, an old friend. She just moved with her husband and daughter back to Tokyo."

"It's Yin." The Doll corrected but Kiko kept babbling on while the baby calmed – with the help of a little ice-cream from her mother's bowl.

"Then _Yin_-chan. Mayu is a fanfiction-writer! Her stories are incredible awesome! I think I read some of her stories to you!"

Mayu smiled at the other girl. "You also like mangas?" She could swear she had seen this girl before… _'Oh, the Onsen!'_ But back then they hadn't talked at all and their visit/investigation of the hot springs had been over when the pond in the 'male part' was suddenly frozen.

Yin nodded and smiled a tiny smile. She knew from her observer work a few years prior and this morning, that Mayu was nice and only a paper-pusher. "I'm Yin and this is Bai." Acting was hard and somewhat tiring, but she needed to appear normal, to blend in – especially with the American checkpoints on the streets apparently looking for Contractors and Dolls next to keeping the population under control.

"I'm Mayu. Nice to meet you." Mayu beamed at mother and child, her eyes scrutinizing the now happily babbling baby. "She's sooo cute!"

"Thank you." Yin smiled again a little, her eyes still half-closed and emotionless, but by now she had got it figured how to move her former stiff facial muscles into a genuine looking smile.

Mayu took in the other young woman for a moment. "Your eyes…" This expression reminded her on Emerald and Ivory - that's if the older boy wasn't an ass again.

"Yin's almost blind." Kiko said and Mayu felt embarrassed to have mentioned it. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine." Yin's voice was quiet as she pressed a kiss to her daughter's downy head, while the baby licked ice-cream from the offered spoon.

The pink haired otaku took also a spoon full of her ice-cream and eyed the other young woman. "Now, Mayu-chan, spill. How is this guy like?" They all knew, whom she meant.

"Well, he was really nice at first, but then it turned out that he is a complete different person."

"Like what?" Kiko probed.

The brunette contemplated for a moment – she could hardly say that he was a Contractor and one of the most-wanted assassins in the world, if not _the_ most-wanted one. "The others seemed to have met him before. He's a real pro and my boss is really glad to have him on the team, that's all I can say."

"C'mon."

Mayu was literally exploding to tell her friend everything. "Well, I told you about the other mouthy newbie? Apparently Mr. Handsome has one of those Dolls and Moron-boy made a nasty comment and Mr. Handsome hit the kid."

"He did?" Yin muttered a little surprised. _'Hei…'_

"Woah!"

But Mayu continued. "I mean I can somehow understand it. That boy sometimes also makes me want to kick him." She had also been on the receiving end of the teen's mean comments. Her face got all flushed in anger at the thought. "I mean for a Contractor he sure knows how to be mean and hurting." She blurted and felt both women's eyes on her – Kiko surprised about this confidential information and Yin knowing that this was a stupid slip of the tongue. Mayu covered her mouth quickly. "Oh, crap!" She looked from one to the other. "You really have to keep this a secret!"

"Yeah, yeah… So you work with a Contractor?" Kiko whispered. "What's it like? I always wondered why they would assign a teenager to a special division like yours." She narrowed her eyes. "I take it that Moron-boy is not a genius that skipped a few grades?"

Mayu sipped her ice-tea. "Far from. He's just with us, because of what he is." She thought a moment and then lowered her voice. "But apparently he isn't even good enough… Mr. Handsome said he'll train him, since he won't survive a confrontation with another Contractor."

* * *

A/N: When I watched DtB for the very first time 2007 with subs, I rally disliked Kiko and Gai, they got on my nerves so bad. But when I watched it dubbed a few months ago, they weren't that annoying any more – I kinda like them now.

I hope you liked this short chapter. Feedback is a wonderful thing.


	18. Chapter 18

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

A/N: I love you guys! Thanks for the many reviews, StreakingHerculobus, Monotufu, Guest, Antonio92, of fan and fic.

**I re-edited the 3rd chapter slightly.**

**By the way (if you haven't already noticed), I keep with the Japanese way of putting first the family-name and then the given-name. e.g. Li Bai Xing, where Li is the family-name and Bai Xing the given-names.  
**

OC description: 

_Emerald_: 10 year old Doll with medium 'shadow'; green eyes and really short brown hair; Asian

_Ivory:_ 13 year old Contractor; manipulating plants; remuneration: scratching himself bloody; light brown eyes and normal long brown hair (like July's hair length); Asian; Emerald's older brother

_Bai:_ 8 months old Contractor with telekinetic power; no remuneration; light brown hair and dark blue eyes

**Merry Christmas to all of you!  
**Maybe you'll have snow – here the snow is already gone – green Xmas again…

* * *

Chapter 18

"I'm home." Hei called as soon as he opened the door to the furnished apartment Section 9 had found for them. His hands were full with grocery bags – he and Mao had stopped by a small supermarket after their visit of the animal shelter – so he shut the door with his foot.

A "Welcome, Hei." rang from the living-room-kitchen combination and Mao, in his new body, followed the other Contractor further inside, finding Yin and her specter sitting on cushions on the floor, next to a low table, feeding some orange mash to the baby on Yin's lap – at least the cat guessed her to be the real Yin, it was quite hard to tell the difference between the Doll and her identically looking specter. "Hello, Mao." Yin's voice was as expressionless as were her features, but she 'looked' his way in greeting.

"Hi, there, Yin." The black cat held a safe distance to the child, who was already stretching her arms towards the animal. "Hi, kiddo."

After placing the bags onto the kitchen counter Hei walked up to his family and kissed Yin onto the lips and Bai onto her head. "I'll start dinner." He fetched the two empty baby food jars from the table and dumped them into the bin and began unpacking the groceries.

Mao shook his head about the baby girl eating hungrily the last bites of her third jar. "There's no doubt that Hei's the father…"

The young parents ignored the comment and Yin 'looked' at her husband. "I heard you hit the kid."

Hei faced her startled. She – or more her Specter – hadn't been there in that very moment and who except Emerald could have told her – and that Doll didn't make the impression to be (already) quite chatty. "Well, he deserved it." He usually would have let that comment drop, but with Yin it was something else – he would talk with her and tell her things he wouldn't tell anyone else – act a little less like a Contractor.

"I heard so, too."

The man frowned. "Who told you?"

"I met Kiko and Mayu… Ootsuka Mayu." Her voice was even and calm the entire time.

"You aren't lucky." Mao mumbled, the hairs on his neck standing up at the memory of the pink haired otaku.

Hei placed some cans of coconut milk into the cabinets above the stove and began to knead the rice in a pot with water, his eyes on his wife the entire time. "They know each other?"

Yin nodded and wiped the smeared mouth of her daughter with the girl's bib. "I'm meeting them tomorrow afternoon."

"Voluntarily?" The cat muttered and jumped upon the kitchen-counter – he liked Mayu and he knew Kiko had a good heart, but still, the girl was weird.

"Is Ootsuka aware that we know us, Yin?" From the corner of his eyes he saw her shake her head 'no' and place Bai onto her baby blanket with her toys – her specter keeping the child company.

The young woman got to her feet and straitened her white skirt. "I didn't think it necessary for her to know." Yin explained and approached Hei from behind, sneaking her delicate arms around his stomach and leaning against his back.

This gesture brought a soft smile to the Black Reaper's lips. "Wanna help?" He felt her nod against his shoulder and her grip on him loosened. He swept the few rice grains from his hands and began cutting the cabbage next to the sink.

Mao observed the interaction with interest: she had immediately removed the rice from the sink and was now washing her hands, before returning the pot with rice to its former spot – doing all this without a single command from anyone. _'She got pretty independent.'_

The silence between the three was comfortable, yet Hei suddenly reminded the topic he wanted to ask her about all day. "How was the training with Emerald?"

"Fine… I taught him the routs you had showed me a few years ago." She paused a moment. "I would like to add a few new routes for him where he could blend into the crowd more easily."

Hei was concentrating onto his work, yet he didn't miss the cat's surprised and curious expression. For him it was already normal that Yin would think about problems and find her own solutions. "What's on your mind?"

"The big toy-store in the mall has three exits on two floors, just like the amusement arcades." She filled new water into the pot. "There are always many people and children his age." Looking for escape-routes for her and Hei had become second nature to her by now, although since the Izanami showdown two and a half years ago their life had been rather quiet when it came to killing and kidnapping – there had been only a handful exceptions. It was nothing compared to the nearly two years they had been constantly been target after the first Tokyo Explosion.

"Sounds good." Hei didn't look up from cutting the vegetables. "Do you wanna take over his training, Yin?"

"I would like to." She nodded and her almost sightless eyes travelled over to the cat. "Are you fine with it, Mao?" He was after all one of the Syndicate's bosses.

"Sure, Yin." The animal scratched his ear. "Though it sounds like an irrational decision… a Doll training a Doll. But seeing you now, you hardly pass as the typical Doll anymore."

"Thanks, I guess." Silence engulfed the group and Hei was putting the wok onto the stove while the cat watched with interest the couple working hand in hand. "Why are you grinning, Mao?" Yin suddenly asked, her specter standing close by.

Caught, Mao averted his gaze from his two friends. "Nothing." After a moment passed by, he added, still unaccustomed to Yin's many questions and almost normal behavior – he was having a real conversation with a Doll – no curt answers to questions or orders. "It's just good to see you two are fine." He curled up on the counter next to the sink and watched the couple. "Thinking back to when we first met Hei and seeing you two now… I hadn't thought it possible for the two of you ending up as an item – even if Amber had told me… but seeing you now… you fit together perfectly." He studied Yin's face and didn't miss the small twitch of her lips into a smile – a true and normal smile, not that finger-assisted thingy.

* * *

Bai had fallen asleep on her blanket, a stuffed toy-bunny hugged to her chest, while her parents ate the curry and the cat tuna with rice. Hei was already wolfing down his eleventh helping, while Yin was still struggling with her first bowl – when it came to eating, the two couldn't be more oppositional. "Do you want to stay the night, Mao?" The Contractor asked as he removed his face from his now empty bowl.

The cat turned his head to look out of the window and the storm raging outside – the rain hammering against the window pane. "You aren't seriously asking this?"

"You may stay then." Hei replied, his eyes half closed yet his features were relaxed and Mao saw the mischief twinkle in his dark blue orbs – something he had missed during his short time with the man and Suou and July.

"How generous of you." The cat licked his nose and mouth. "The guy from the animal shelter said he would drop by to look if you treat me well." Officially Li Ming-hoa had adopted the cat, Mao was currently possessing.

"I believe this guy was more concerned that I would throw you into the wok than let you stray in a storm." Hei refilled his bowl once more. Maybe he should have asked for a Japanese second alias, then at least the cat-eating-jokes would stop.

"He wouldn't like me be struck by a lightening either." Mao scratched his ear and neck – he really needed to get used to this new body, it was itching everywhere.

"You don't need to be outside to get electrocuted." Hei offered and shoveled the rice in.

Yin observed the bickering quietly as she had always done and didn't miss the joy about their pastime both Contractors tried to hide. It felt good to be back in Tokyo with people they know. She was glad about meeting Kiko at the mall.

Suddenly loud voices and something breaking disturbed the comfortable moment. "What the hell is that?!" Mao screamed alarmed and jumped to his feet.

Hei and Yin remained sitting calmly at the table, trying to listen to the news on the TV, while the ruckus of screams, shouts and things thrown against walls continued. "Just the neighbors from above." Hei said after the reportage of the big earthquakes in Africa that had occurred only hours before finished and a report about the failed peace talks of the U.S.A., Russia and China began.

Mao's eyes widened as a high pitched scream tore through the entire house accompanied with something shattering. "Is it always like this?" He saw Yin nod and place her still not empty bowl in front of her husband. "No wonder we found this apartment so quickly for you." The apartment-situation in Tokyo was even worse after the 'American invasion' than it had already been before.

Hei picked the leftovers of his wife's meal up and gobbled them down like he hadn't eaten in hours. "You should have seen the faces of the other neighbors when we moved in last week with Bai. You didn't need to be a mind-reader to know that they thought 'great a wailing baby to compete with the Lee's'."

Mao walked over to the young woman and curled up onto her lap. "Those guys are also called Li?!"

"Differently written." Yin put in, her quiet and even voice almost drowned out by the Korean curses from above, while she began to pat her former partner's head – the black cat purring slightly.

Something heavy must have been thrown onto the floor and all three looked up in shock by the loud noise – if they kept going on like this, one day they would break through the ceiling and continue their fight in Hei's living-room. "Whoa…" Mao's eyes swap over to the baby, anticipating her to wake up and join the noise, but to his bewilderment the little girl was still out like a light – her thumb in her mouth. "Is the kid deaf?"

Hei smirked at his daughter's peaceful form. "Maybe it's the name, but she sleeps as tightly as my sister used to do." He was really glad for this circumstance and picked the girl gently up, holding her in his left arm while stroking her little belly with his right hand. "We are now known as the 'quiet Li's'." He explained as he unconsciously smiled down onto his beautiful daughter. "Before it was the 'Chinese Li's' and the 'Korean Lee's'."

* * *

Mao followed Hei into the bedroom, the man carrying his child to the crib, Yin had gotten ready a moment before – the girl's night light was switched on at the nightstand next to her parents' king-size bed. The room was small and cramped with the two beds, two nightstands, a wardrobe and a dresser.

The cat scrutinized the perforated lamp shade and wondered why they kept that broken thing. Shaking his head, his eyes caught sight of a familiar constellation of light dots on the wall. Frowning the cat looked up at the ceiling and wondered over the countless small dots and the one large projected by the night light. "The real night-sky." Mao muttered in awe as the realization hit him.

"Hei made it." Yin said as she re-entered the bedroom, now clad in one of Hei's black tank-tops. She went over to the crib and pressed a kiss to Bai's forehead.

Hei doubt by now that the real stars and moon would return, but he wanted his daughter to have at least an impression of what the real night sky must have looked like. After the Black Reaper had tucked his daughter in with a soft expression on his features, he stripped down to his dark green boxers and slipped on another one of his black tank-tops.

"It's quiet." Yin noted somewhat surprised and crawled onto the bed, pulled her white ribbon from her long hair and placed it into her nightstand – to a vast collection of ribbons in different colors.

"Maybe they have finally killed each other." Mao didn't think it a loss if this was indeed the case.

"We should get our eyes shut. I fear it's just the calm before the storm." Hei got under the sheet and wrapped his arms around his Yin's thin form, placing a loving kiss to her lips. "Good night."

"Good night, Hei. Mao." The Doll whispered while her small hands gasped her husband's shirt.

"Night, you two." Mao curled up at the foot end of the bed on Yin's side – it was safer here than on Hei's if the man would toss and turn during one of his nightmares.

A few minutes ticked away and all three were slowly drifting off to sleep… until a screech and a male voice disturbed their peace once again. "Shit!" Hei cursed and pulled Yin's body closer to his.

* * *

Hei stared at the ceiling, his eyes barley making out the white structure in the darkness – only the light of the fake stars from the window lit the room somewhat up. The Black Reaper lay by now on his back, just like Yin next to him, her expression blank with a hint of fatigue, whereas his held annoyance next to tiredness. He turned his head to glance onto the digital clock on his nightstand. _'1:42 AM. Just great!'_ "Someday, I'm gonna electrocute them."

"I'll tell Misaki it was an act of self-defense." Mao said without opening his eyes. "Isn't even a lie."

"Mhm." Yin mumbled and turned onto her side, her back to her husband.

"About what are they arguing anyway?" Mao asked as the voices tuned a little down in volume – they must have returned into their living-room.

"She's still convinced that he had thrown her cup away, she had inherited from her grandmother." Yin wasn't really eavesdropping – this wasn't necessary at the volume of the fight above.

"I thought that was the topic yesterday." Hei sighed and also got to his side. He buried his nose in Yin's long and soft hair, his arms tightly slung over his wife's body. She immediately grasped his hands and laced their fingers loosely.

Mao stared in the darkness perplexed at the Doll's face – her eyes now closed – until he remembered her basic programming also included a language package. "I'm sure she was the one who had thrown that cup at her husband's head."

* * *

A/N: I got the idea of the loud neighbors from my neighbors – I don't understand Turkish, but they sometimes use German words and you get a general idea what they are 'discussing'… why are the walls so damn thin…

Anyway, I have an idea of how the 'programming' of Dolls might be done and I'll add it in later chapters (I know that it was stated that memories or information added to a human's brain via ME – Doll's are still human beings – won't last more than a few days, that's why Suou had her Meteor Shard). But it was also said that Doll's have an incredible memory – forgetting nothing – and with the right technique they can get programmed with different information. I believe they might have gotten a language package, since little July could understand Misaki and other Japanese people without problems – it would also be extremely helpful for Dolls with their spying on people when they would understand what the target says…

_Thanks to InflatedChimp for pointing out a typo._

**I hope you liked this long chapter. Please let me know. Merry Christmas!**


	19. Chapter 19

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

A/N: I love you guys! Thanks for the many reviews, Monotufu, of fan and fic, InflatedChimp, Camille loves chocolate, andy parker.

I try to update once a week (if you haven't noticed), but now there will be two updates per week: the first chapter of my new DtB fanfic '**DtB: When the stars vanished**' is also up. It's kinda a prequel to this story and I'll make a few references in later chapters (here), but both stories work for themselves though.

OC description: 

_Emerald_: 10 year old Doll with medium 'shadow'; green eyes and really short brown hair; Asian

_Ivory:_ 13 year old Contractor; manipulating plants; remuneration: scratching himself bloody; light brown eyes and normal long brown hair (like July's hair length); Asian; Emerald's older brother

_Bai:_ 8 months old Contractor with telekinetic power; no remuneration; light brown hair and dark blue eyes

**Happy New Year!  
**I think, I believe in Global Warming now: On Xmas we had +18°C and today +16°C; normally we have **-**15°C in December (that's a difference of 30 degrees!). I feel like being in the tropics!

* * *

Chapter 19

The night had been short, but they had gotten at least four hours of sleep and Hei felt reminded to their first weeks of being parents – Bai had really kept them busy at night. The newborn had demanded food almost on an hourly basis, not completely sated when Yin had nursed her. The switch to formula had been the only solution – Bai hadn't been hungry so quickly again, granting them a few minutes more of sleep – only Yin had been a little sad about this circumstance. She hadn't said so once, but Hei had noticed the underlying sadness in his wife's purple eyes, every time she fed the bottle to their daughter.

Closing the door to his apartment, the Black Reaper caught sight of his right door neighbor, a dark-haired woman living with her fiancé – both were teachers if Hei remembered correctly – and he forced a smile in greeting, suppressing a yawn. "Good morning."

"Morning, Li-san." The teacher eyed him tiredly. "You look like you had a wonderful night, too."

"It's just like having a newborn again." Hei joked, his Li-persona on the forefront.

"Only that this baby will probably never sleep through an entire night." The woman sighed and fell into step beside Hei, descending the stairs. She looked out into the cloudless sky, her spirits lifting. "At least the weather Gods seemed to have made up."

Hei – usually despising chitchat, especially in the mornings – followed her gaze with his half-closed eyes – he really needed to force his eyes to look like a normal human's today on his way to work – and he took in the warm summer day with the sun laughing down from the blue sky. "Seems so."

Suddenly her gaze fell onto the black cat swirling between his legs. "You have a cat?"

"Umm, yes. Pets are allowed here, aren't they?" He didn't remember any paragraph in his contract forbidding animals.

"No worries. The landlord loves birds and has a swarm of budgies himself." She faced her new neighbor alerted. "I don't wanna be in your skin when your cat drags a dead bird through the apartment building."

Hei shrugged and gazed down at Mao. "If he does then he'll meet the wok after all." The cat's eyes narrowed in annoyance at his friend's bad joke.

"Li-san!"

Hei cracked a tired smile. "Just kidding. My wife would rather hit me with the wok, than letting anything happen to this flea bag." They had reached the sidewalk. "I'll have to catch my train now. Bye." The Contractor said and hurried down the street, his features threatening to relax into his usually emotionless face any moment.

* * *

Mayu was surprised to find Mr. Kobayashi at Section 9's headquarters, when she entered the office and placed her bag onto her desk, immediately booting her computer. The man usually resided in the secret sub-levels of the building, where their own Doll Network was kept – Mayu was finally again responsible for the information flow of the data gathered by the mediums.

She let her gaze wander through the large room and over her colleagues until she spotted Ivory standing in a corner, balancing a bright pink hula hoop on his hips. The young brunette approached Kouno, who was also watching the teenager with a wide grin. "Why is Ivory doing _this_?!"

"Li-san's training for the abdominal muscles." The blond man whispered amused – he didn't believe their new Contractor the story that this girlish color was the only one left at the store. "Maybe the brat is getting so tired by the training that he would finally shut his yap."

Suddenly the door to the office opened and a blond woman clad in red stepped inside, sunglasses on her head. "Hello!" Madam Oreille greeted in her cheerful self, her eyes immediately on the Black Reaper. "I'm just here to welcome our new agent." She said on the questioning gazes, everyone shot at her. Usually she would only call or meet Misaki somewhere she didn't expect in order to provide news for her fellow Syndicate founders. The woman was a rare sight for the rest of Section 9.

Hei glowered at the blond while everybody approached the woman and her two Dolls, she had in tow. "Oi, Ricardo, you got a new body." The information broker noted as her gaze travelled over the people present.

"Quit calling me that."

She shrugged the comment off and eyed the black haired Contractor. "So… we are on the same side again." Hei's cold eyes were on her from the first moment on, but other than glaring, the man didn't do anything. "You know, I drove through the city yesterday and when I happen to look out of the window, I was really surprised at what I saw." She fished a photo from her purse and held it to BK-201, so only he could see it. "I mean I got informed about you and your Doll when Misaki told us you would join us… But seeing them…"

Hei threw a swift gaze at the picture of his Yin pushing the stroller, their daughter was peacefully sleeping in with her twin-looking specter walking next to her. "Are you threatening me now?" He tore the photo from the blond's hand, his eyes narrowed dangerously at her - his usually emotionless and dead orbs were gleaming with rage.

"I'm not your enemy, Hei."

"Neither my ally." Hei's eyes glowed red and the picture in his hand turned completely black – he had manipulated the photo-paper on a quantum level – before crumbling and tossing it into the bin.

"Hei?" Misaki was surprised about his hostility and wondered what had occurred between the two.

"My, my, … you're pretty resentful for a Contractor." Oreille sank down on a table, not intimidated at all.

"You tricked me."

"I didn't trick you. When you think logically about it there was no other option for me to take than to keep the knowledge of the container's content from you." When it came to business, Madam Oreille seemed almost as rational and conscienceless as a Contractor. "If you had known you would have never accepted the assignment." Surely, Hei had been her best man – even stripped of his Contractor powers – but she could have hired someone else for the job, someone who had no feelings for the target.

"Izanami's container…" Misaki muttered, her gaze on the blond. "_You_ are the one, who ordered Hei to destroy the container in Sapporo?" It had never made sense to her why the Black Reaper would try to coldly destroy the chamber Izanami, no his Doll, was in – he wasn't that kind of man and he didn't fail the belief she held in him. "No wonder why he's pissed at you."

Hazuki had her arms crossed about her chest, her expressionless eyes on the blond. She couldn't say that she liked BK-201 – if he hadn't kidnapped Youko, Genma wouldn't have had an opportunity at killing her - but this piece of information changed somehow the way she saw the other Contractor. Like others, she had heard of the rumors of the Black Reaper and his Doll back when Izanami was at large. "He hadn't known that he should kill his own Doll?" Her words made Saito and Kouno look shocked at the man in question, feeling sympathy for him and understanding the way he reacted at Madam O. "If the rumors about them are true then that was an unnecessary cruelty of you." Hazuki said what the humans in her unit thought – Mayu being the only one not completely grasping the depth.

Madam Oreille glared at the black-haired woman bewildered. "There would have been no reason for this order in the first place if you guys from Section 3 hadn't thought yourself fit to endanger the lives of all people on this planet, only to have that weapon in your possession. You should have killed her back in China." Her hard gaze swapped from Hazuki to Goro. "I thought we agreed that Section 3 had also strayed off the path to keep the prophecy from fulfilling. Killing that Doll was the only way."

Goro was about to respond to these accusations, but Misaki beat him to it. "This is not true." She countered, the resolve and anger in her voice made everyone stare at her. "Hei found another way. You should have included him from the very beginning instead of either hunting him down or using him as your marionette!"

The Black Reaper eyed the agitated woman. Her words in his favor indeed surprised him and he figured that her passion originated from her own experience of being refused the real important information for so long as one of the higher-ups' chess pieces. For the bystander it looked like Misaki had a completely different opinion on this incident than her two fellow bosses of the new Syndicate. Hei filed this information in the back of his mind and remained silent for the time being.

"You guys are aware that most people present don't have the necessary clearance for this kind of information?" Mao brought up matter-of-fact as he stretched on the tabletop and began scratching his ear.

The three other Syndicate bosses first stared at him then their troubled gazes fell upon their subordinates. "This was all classified information. You are not allowed to ever talk about it with anyone." Goro ordered, his features grave.

"Yes, sir." The three humans said in a chorus, while Hazuki nodded curtly and Hei remained staring daggers at Madam Oreille. "If it's helping, I'm confused anyway." Saito muttered, though he was mentally putting the new pieces of information to the knowledge he already had.

Kobayashi nodded in acknowledgement and his serious gaze switched over to the two brothers. "Understood?"

"Understood." Emerald said in his even whisper, while the teenager nodded. "Sure."

Hei's enraged gaze briefly swapped over to the young Contractor, who was now simply standing there with the hula hoop in his hands. "Nobody told you to take a break!" He growled and the boy resumed his training reluctantly, tossing a death glare at the Black Reaper.

Misaki crossed her arms over her chest. "Is there another reason for your visit, Madam?"

The blond smirked. "I got information that the death of a Contractor is related to the Black Dust. Section 4 of the police is currently investigating the crime-scene." She pulled up a piece of paper. "Here's the address."

Misaki took the offered note. "Ok, I'll get a team over there asap." Her old section – now with new faces – wouldn't be happy when they showed up and took one of their cases away from them, again. It was bad enough for Section 4 to give Section 9 complete access to their database and current investigations and now they would come and demand to take over their crime scene. She would send Kouno and Saito with Hazuki as 'convincing-backup'.

Hei didn't trust Oreille at all. His gaze was now resting on the two Dolls behind the woman, both girls looking back at him. Their features were blank as they were supposed to be on the first sight, but when Hei scrutinized the sisters for a moment longer he couldn't get off the impression that there was an underlying curiosity. Before, after entering the room, both girls' gazes had swept through the room and had lingered a moment on the training Ivory – the corners of the lips of the right twin twitching into a small smile or grin. "What else should we know about this body?"

"There's nothing more, Hei." Oreille answered, but suddenly dark blue eyes dug into her again.

"I'm not speaking with you, but with them!" Hei said rather harshly and tore his narrowed eyes from the blond and looked at the twin-Dolls. "You two are pretty far evolved." As soon as he had laid eyes on those two girls, Hei knew where the information broker got her 'goods' from – he guessed without the twins she would be broke.

The left twin's lips curled into a small smile, yet her voice was free of any emotion or emphasis when she spoke. "You can tell by only looking at us, Black Reaper?"

"Your Doll got ahead of us, though," replied her sister, mirroring the expression of the other Doll.

"The dead Contractor is no trap or trick. Your Doll can verify this." The left one said, before the right twin continued. "But you might be interested in one detail."

"Before his death the Contractor snorted the Black Dust." This information made everyone's eyes widen in surprise.

"Now you spoiled the surprise, Ariel." Madam Oreille moke-chided and turned to leave. "I'll see you guys. Bye."

Like all others, Kouno's eyes lingered on the closed door, when the three blonds had finally left their office. "I always thought Emerald creepy, but scratch that. Those two remind me on some horror-film killer puppet…" He muttered, totally forgetting that the boy was within earshot.

"Kouno." Mayu pulled on his sleeve and motioned her head towards the back of the room, where the young Doll stood, his features blank and stoic – if the words had hurt him, he didn't show it in the slightest.

The dark blond man caught on his error and looked at the child sheepishly in the first moment, but when there was not the tiniest reaction whatsoever, he shrugged this incident off and returned his undivided attention to his boss.

"Back to business." Misaki exhaled. "I have to meet a contact now." She hadn't finished the sentence when Hazuki was already by her side. She looked the other woman straight in the eye – usually Mina was the one accompanying her and seeing to it that everything went smooth. "Hei will be my shadow."

"But…" Mina stared at her for a moment. The female Contractor's straight face then turned to the Black Reaper sharply. "If you let anything happen to her." She lifted her wooden sword up, Hei on the other hand kept staring at her not intimidated at all – his features emotionless.

Misaki was glad that Hazuki had taken this change in routine rather well, but then again she was a professional and a Contractor – though she knew the latter meant nothing, even the so called merciless killing-machines had their quirks – their sometimes weird remunerations not counting. "Hazuki, you, Kouno and Saito will take a team to this address" She ordered and then sighed. "And please, you three, be diplomatic when you deal with Section 4." It wasn't like the police division could do anything against the orders from Section 9, but Misaki didn't want to affront the other division too much if she could help it. If she would be in their shoes, she surely would be boiling with anger. "Let's get going." She told her team and watched Hei shrug his knife-holster on under his black suit jacket.

Ivory's eyes widened as everyone left the office – Hazuki, Saito and Kouno going to the crime scene, Kirihara and Hei meeting a contact and Ootsuka accompanying Kobayashi down to the Doll Network – only his brother and the cat-Contractor stayed, but even Emerald was occupied with Yin training him from afar. "Oi, old man! How long shall I do this crap?" The boy pointed onto the pink ring rotating around his body.

"Till I'm back." The Black Reaper ordered and adjusted his cloth's collar, glancing at the teenager. "You may take a ten minutes break, otherwise eat while training." His dark and emotionless eyes turned to the black cat curled up on a window sill. "Mao will watch you, so don't slack off."

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. I'm not so fond of Oreille (you may have noticed this). I would be happy if you would also check out my other DtB fanfic.


	20. Chapter 20

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

Beta-reader: Antonio92 (many thanks to you)

A/N: I love you guys! Thanks for the many reviews, Monotufu, tityuio, of fan and fic, InflatedChimp, Camille loves chocolate, Antonio92, Maiden of Sin.

This chapter is for the Hei and Misaki fans (no fluff, but friendship)!

Please check out my other DTB fanfic: When the stars vanished.

OC description: 

_Emerald_: 10 year old Doll with medium 'shadow'; green eyes and really short brown hair; Asian

_Ivory:_ 13 year old Contractor; manipulating plants; remuneration: scratching himself bloody; light brown eyes and normal long brown hair (like July's hair length); Asian; Emerald's older brother

_Bai:_ 8 months old Contractor with telekinetic power; no remuneration; light brown hair and dark blue eyes

* * *

Chapter 20

A black Toyota pulled up in a parking lot two blocks from Tokyo's National Museum of Modern Art. Killing the machine, Kirihara stole a glance at her companion on the passenger seat. Hei had exchanged his suit jacket for a sleeve-less dark blue vest, a dressy light-blue scarf and glasses, making him look like a long-term art student, while his blades were still hidden beyond his white button-up as were the wires in his belt. "Yup, I would buy your student-pretense."

Hei smirked at her praise and got off the vehicle. They held a good distance to each other as they walked towards the museum where the meeting was supposed to take place. After buying tickets they made their way to a room on the second floor with a special exhibition – Hei taking a detour through another room, so he would enter the destined place from the second of the three exits. His notepad and pencil in hand, the man sank down on a bank in the middle of the room, where his boss was already sitting – their backs to each other. Their contact still had twenty minutes to show up.

"Misaki?" Hei whispered, his eyes fixed to a drawing hanging on the wall across from him. "You're one of the bosses; shouldn't your place be in the shadows, pulling the strings, rather than endangering yourself to meet a contact?" He made a few notes – the name of the artist and the picture and a few other aspects about the artwork – to make his act more believable.

They were still alone in the entire room – only a guard stood in the next one, glancing over into theirs from time to time. "And leaving all the fun to you?" she grinned, before becoming serious again. "I think one reason why the old Syndicate lost their path and eventually crumbled was that their higher-ups weren't in touch with the real world out here. They lost the focus on what's really going on and what's important, sitting behind their dusty desks." It felt nice to be close to Li, Hei or whatever this man chose as his alias. She had really missed his company and had always wondered how it would be to work with him side by side. She had always viewed him as a friend – Li was easy to be friends with and BK-201 wasn't your usual Contractor either – but she wasn't so sure if her friendship with the exchange student had been real to some point or if it was just a set-up by the Black Reaper to get information on her hunt first hand. But she somehow doubted the latter – or her old feelings for the man blinded her to the hard truth.

Hei smiled involuntarily. "I guess you still aren't one to patiently sit and wait." Having said that, the Contractor got to his feet and approached a vase in a glass box. He positioned himself to get a perfect view of the bench and Misaki through the glass' reflection, while his back was to the woman.

A few minutes ticked away until an elderly man with short brown hair stumbled into the room and shot a wary gaze at the student who scribbled something into his notepad, caught up by the more or less ordinary looking vase, before he sank down next to the brunette in her early thirties. "Did _they_ send you?"

Misaki nodded curtly and eyed the man from the corner of her eyes. "You know something about the Black Dust?"

"The harbor, tomorrow evening. Container DCSU190026." The man slipped a tiny scrap of paper – the container number - into Misaki's beige coat's pocket.

The brunette stood up and left the room, leaving her folded-up newspaper – the informant's compensation inside – lying on the bench next to the man.

Hei resumed his act and watched the man pick the newspaper up and leave through the door he had arrived through, while Misaki pretended to look at a drawing in the next room – the Black Reaper had all exits in view thanks to the reflections in the display case. They wasted another quarter hour at the exhibition until Misaki finally returned to the large entry-hall – with a few minor stops to ogle some sculpture or another. Hei was on her heels with a large distance between them, there weren't many people at the museum at the moment – for normal working folks it was too early and for class visits it was almost too late already.

When they finally reached their car, Hei sank back down into the passenger seat and took off the glasses. "You got better at pretending to blend in, Misaki."

The brunette narrowed her eyes at the man beside her. "What's that supposed to mean?"

The Black Reaper grinned into her confused features. "Back when we first met officially at the party, you looked a bit out of place."

"_Now_ what do you mean?" She was gritting her teeth slightly and looked at her agent – maybe taking Hazuki wouldn't have been that bad.

Hei's delight vanished and he sighed – reminding her a little bit of Li-kun. "You looked stunning back then, don't get me wrong, but you kept yourself to a corner instead of mingling… You were invited personally by the daughter of the Chinese Triad's boss after all."

"B-but…" Misaki felt her cheeks glow with a blush, but she still tried to make an angry face.

"Back then you should have tried to enjoy yourself or at least pretended to do so," he said, his expression relaxed but unreadable. "Now you don't look misplaced. You've improved. That's all I wanted to tell you."

Misaki stared at the man unable to say anything. She tried to remember or guess if Li-kun would be so bold or if this was all Hei. The Black Reaper shook his head at the stubborn woman. "You know, you could take a compliment the way it is supposed to be instead of looking for some catch, Misaki," he said, lifting his eyebrows at her with a little smile on his lips.

Kirihara stared at Hei's features for a long moment before exhaling in defeat. A smile tugged on the corners of her mouth, but she still struggled somewhat against it – she was too proud for her own good sometimes. "Umm, thanks, Hei."

The Contractor watched her start the engine and drive back to their headquarters. "See, it wasn't that bad, was it?" He said after a while.

"You always have to have the last word, huh?" She glared at him from the corner of her eyes, but differently than her human subordinates, who would scurry away in fear - Hei simply looked directly into her eyes.

"So do you," Hei countered, still holding her gaze through the rear-view mirror. Misaki stopped at a red traffic light, but didn't take her eyes off of her companion's dark orbs. Suddenly her annoyance evaporated and she couldn't hold in her laugher anymore. Hei joined in her hilarity – both remembering their shared laughter years ago.

"You're incredible," Misaki brought out when she calmed down and the car before her resumed its way.

"People keep telling me that, but I honestly don't know why," Hei responded with a smile – it had been an eternity since he really laughed.

The brunette shook her head about him, still smiling. Maybe Li-kun wasn't an act entirely. Maybe they really had been friends.

* * *

Meanwhile Section 9 had arrived at a rundown apartment complex and had freed the police from their duties concerning the Contractor's corpse. Saito crouched down next to Hazuki looking at the body, while Kouno ordered two of their men to collect any evidence, and anything that looked suspicious.

"There's no doubt that he snorted that stuff," Saito muttered, turning the head of the corpse with his gloved hand, so the Contractor could see the man's nose. The dust wasn't smeared onto his upper lip, but it was clearly inside his nose, so nobody had faked the crime scene.

Hazuki nodded and forcefully opened the stiff hand of the man to fish an empty plastic bag from his palm. She held it against the light falling in the room from the only window. "It's empty." There were only slight traces of black particles left. She dropped the small plastic bag into a larger evidence bag and scrutinized the body. After a while she frowned and took a closer look at the man's ear.

Saito watched his partner. He was working with her for over a year now, but he still knew nothing about the woman except that she was a Contractor and a lesbian, although the latter had really surprised him at first. He had assumed – as the general public had been told – that Contractors were emotionless beings, unable to feel any kind of affection or attraction. Or that those creatures had locked their emotions completely away in favor of a rational life. But Hazuki was different. She despised her remuneration and had almost puked the one time she had to kiss Kouno with tongue. Her face showed surprise, anger and sometimes even faint concern, if you could notice those brief flutters of emotions before they vanished again under her mask of indifference. But sometimes, they remained on her face for a moment or two, just like in this case. "What have you found, Hazuki-san?"

Mina turned the victim's head to show Saito a dried trail of blood in the man's ear. "The coroner needs to have a closer look on this guy's head."

Kouno came over to them and also glanced at the ear. "Everything here looks like an accidental overdose. The Black Dust must have caused some reaction in that guy's brain..."

"…and killed him," Saito added and faced their female team-member. "But why would a Contractor take that dust? Is it possible to strengthen the abilities or even get a second one?"

Mina narrowed her eyes. "Why are you looking at me? I have no clue." She got to her feet and snapped her thin plastic gloves off. "Either way, it was an irrational decision." She went out to call the men with the body bag in and looked down from the open hallway in front of the victim's apartment.

Kouno followed her and Saito out. Their work here was done, now it was on the guys in the labs to find new leads. His eyes followed their Contractor's to a tall brown-haired man standing in the crowd of onlookers. "He won't give up so easily, huh?" Kouno muttered as he recognized the chief of Section 4, Shoda Ryuu.

"That's what makes him a good policeman." Saito replied and made room for the body to be wheeled out. "Let's get back."

* * *

It was quiet as most time at the control room of the Syndicate's Doll Network. Mayu was inputting new locations into the system's computer, to have the Dolls send their specters to more frequently. Misaki wanted them to find the dealers, but unfortunately the shady corners and alleys the deals tended to take place were a little far from the overhead lines. So they were stuck sending only Dolls with mediums of shadow, glass or stone if they wanted to have a closer look. Suddenly a window popped up on Mayu's screen and Omar Yumi, the chief analyst of the Network, looked immediately over to an unused terminal where an alarm had just gone off. "One of our lost mediums just came back online," she said with a frown and typed commands into the computer while her colleagues were also checking their displayed information.

"What?" Goro had walked over to the young woman with a frown and peeked over her shoulder onto the screen.

"How?" Mayu was also surprised and approached the analyst.

"We still don't know, but thirteen months ago, something happened to its specter and we lost all contact with it. Since then the Doll has been kept in the chamber with the back-up units."

"And the specter suddenly showed up again?" Goro asked. This was indeed strange.

Yumi typed in another command. "Yes. We are still running diagnostics, but I would like to get it to operating temperature." She looked up to face the man behind her.

Her boss nodded. "Do it, but run it with a separated system. I don't want it to affect the other Dolls in the network."

Mayu remembered her time at the Observatory and faced Kobayashi. "Sir, five years ago some of the government's observer spirits also vanished only to reappear a few days later. They resumed their function like nothing had happened."

This got Goro's attention on Mayu. "Do you know what caused the disappearance?"

"Apparently some Contractor."

He immediately turned around to the other analysts. "Look up the data from the Mitaka Campus. Maybe a star fell at the same time our Doll came back online."

"Yes, sir." A young man and two women said together.

A few minutes later the long-haired brunette looked up from her screen. "Sir, at 2:17pm the star with Messier Code CY-459 fell, the region and reason are still unknown. Our medium came back online at 2:19pm."

"Do we know anything about CY-459's abilities?"

"Nothing at all, sir."

'_An unreported Contractor.'_ Goro decided to request a complete analysis. He doubted that they would find the corpse of the Contractor, but that was unnecessary – he was dead. And considering that it had taken the specter almost two minutes to return to its Doll, it was very likely that the Contractor had died in another country, far away from Japan.

* * *

On their way back, Misaki and Hei had made a quick stop at a fast-food restaurant. The cashier at the drive-through had eyed the empty seats at the Toyota's back baffled as he had given Misaki the three paper bags with seventeen burgers, three fries and a box with chicken nuggets.

Now, with full stomachs, the two arrived at Section 9's headquarters and went straight to their office, where the rest of their team waited for them and the reports from the coroner and the labs. Hei hadn't closed the door behind them, when a Contractor _attacked_ the former policewoman.

"Are you okay, Misaki?" Hazuki's face didn't show any worry or other emotion, but the woman was already feeling her boss up and down – her hands on every one of Misaki's womanly curves.

"Will you stop it?" The brunette gritted her teeth and pushed past her and out of her grasp irately, while the rest of her team just stared at the harassment – Hei even a little dumbfounded, while Saito bit his jealousy down.

Mao jumped up to a desk next to his old friend and chuckled about his expression. "You'll get used to Hazuki's sexual advances."

Kouno had poured himself a cup of coffee and decided to get his new colleague one, too. Leaning next to Hei the man offered him the mug, which the Contractor took with a muttered "thanks". "The thing is, her assaults are not restricted to the female gender." The dark blond man was a lady-killer and wouldn't say no to a woman kissing him, but Hazuki really put all distaste and disgust she had for being forced to be intimate with a man into her kisses.

Hei sipped on the hot liquid. "I know. I already had the pleasure." Again a sip. "No need to repeat it…" Kouno smirked knowingly.

In the meantime Misaki had received the temporary report of the coroner and was listening to Mayu's description of the happenings with the offline Doll. Apparently the Doll was fine and working properly again and they might add it to the Network the next day. The autopsy of the Contractor had shown that he had an aneurism. It was still unknown if it was caused by snorting the Black Dust or if the Contractor had lived with this time-bomb in his head and the drug only made it go off. And of course, they still had no clue as to why a Contractor would deem it necessary to take the dust.

Ivory looked around himself. His brother was apparently done with his training and was eating ramen Ootsuka had made for him. The boss, Hazuki and Saito were reading the reports while Mao, Hei and Kouno were chatting_. That hypocrite!_ "Oi, old man! How long do I have to do this training?" His stomach muscles were hurting like hell and he was already bending forward slightly.

Hei emptied his cup with two gulps and set it down next to the coffee maker before approaching the teenager. Without a word he took the hula-hoop from the boy and crouched down in front of him. He pointed an index-finger at Ivory's stomach and gently poked him.

"Ow!" The teen yelped and Misaki shot a death-glare at the Black Reaper.

Hei saw it and knew what she thought. He repeated his action. "I didn't hit him."

"Oww! Will you stop that?!" Ivory screamed, but saw that his boss was already back reading.

Hei looked over to the body-possessing-contractor. "He really trained the entire time?" He had anticipated that the boy would take longer breaks and would try to reason with Mao.

The cat scratched his ear. "I told him a little about your reputation, Hei. And that you don't like disobedience," he added, still scratching – why was this new body so terribly itchy? "Worked wonders on his motivation."

Hei nodded and got back to his feet. "You are done for today." With that, he turned and walked over to the debriefing table to read the new reports.

Immediately the boy curled up to a ball on the floor. "I don't think I'll be able to move my body tomorrow, let alone do another training session."

Hei didn't look up from the paper. "You won't need your stomach for tomorrow's training." The boy only stared at the man, not sure what to make of that information.

* * *

A/N: I hope, you liked it. Let me know, please!


	21. Chapter 21

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

Beta-reader: Antonio92 (many thanks to you)

A/N: I love you guys! Thanks for the many reviews, Monotufu, tityuio, of fan and fic, InflatedChimp, Camille loves chocolate, andy parker.

OC description: 

_Emerald_: 10 year old Doll with medium 'shadow'; green eyes and really short brown hair; Asian

_Ivory:_ 13 year old Contractor; manipulating plants; remuneration: scratching himself bloody; light brown eyes and normal long brown hair (like July's hair length); Asian; Emerald's older brother

_Bai:_ 8 months old Contractor with telekinetic power; no remuneration; light brown hair and dark blue eyes

* * *

Chapter 21

"Kawaiiiiii!" Kiko screeched for the n-th time, running with her hands full of collars, tiny rain-coats for dogs and leashes for cats – all shiny and pink – from one rack to the next until she stood in front of the hamster cages with hamsters. One purely white one with large black eyes and a tiny pink nose looked sleepily at her, its small grey ears slowly standing up. "Kawaiiii!"

Mayu and Yin still stood at the entrance of the pet shop, both dumbfounded about their friend's reaction – at least the brunette looked like it, while the Doll had her usual blank expression. "Let's look at the animals, before I'll help you choose a cat basket, Yin-chan."

The silver-haired medium only nodded and lifted her babbling daughter from the stroller she had parked next to the check-out counter. The three walked over to a large compound holding rabbits and guinea pigs. Bai immediately stretched her arms towards the furballs while Yin already suppressed the child's abilities. The last thing she needed was her daughter lightening up in red and blue amidst a shop full of people.

"That's a rabbit, Bai-chan." Mayu explained and smiled at the cute baby, who grasped with her hand for the fence. Suddenly a big gray bunny stormed towards the three and even Mayu was shocked when it tried to nab for Bai's tiny fingers.

The little girl started to bawl immediately and Yin cuddled her close to her chest, rocking the child. "Shh. It's fine."

The brunette smiled as she saw the way the young mother lowered her eye-lids and gazed down with so much love and care in her purple eyes at the child that Mayu wondered how the thought of comparing Yin's expression with Emerald's could have crossed her mind the day before. With a whimpering baby, the two women walked away from the evil rabbits and into an empty corridor between shelves. "I just hope she won't be scared of rabbits now." Mayo muttered and absently leaned against a display with of cat -toys. Before she knew what had happened half the contents crashed to the floor and caused a few nosy customers to peek around the corner.

Yin watched with her observer spirit how her new friend blushed in embarrassment and quickly gathered the toys from the floor to hang them back up again. The Doll observed her a moment before taking a few items from her full arms and helped her.

"Thanks, Yin-chan." Mayu smiled at the other woman and then noticed with astonishment that she didn't put the items variously onto the hooks, but ordered by designs. "Umm, Yin-chan… Aren't you blind?" The younger woman looked at her with her lidded purple eyes. "You're doing this really well, I mean…"

"I see colors… and can guess shapes when I'm closer… but it's all very blurry." The silver-haired Doll explained slowly. Mayu stared at her perplexed. This explained why she didn't need a stick or someone to lead her when they walked slowly down the streets to this store. "Kiko is a pink blurry dot."

Mayu grinned about this. "I believe she must be easy for you to recognize in a crowd." She watched Yin nod as she hung the last item back.

Meanwhile, Bai had one of the cat -toys, a white stuffed -fish with bells inside, clutched in her tiny hands and was chewed happily on the head. Her mother carefully lifted the toy on the stick up to pull it from her daughter's grasp, but the elastic thread only got longer and longer till the fish flipped from the baby's hands. Immediately the child lifted her hands up above her head to where the jingling toy dangled and giggled happily.

Mayu poked the fish on its dry fin – the head was already dripping with baby drool – and the bells rang again, causing the little girl to giggle like mad and clap her hands. Both women stared down at the child surprised – Yin's eyebrow even twitched, yet remained in its usual position. "I'll buy it." The Doll eventually said and lowered the toy back to her daughter's hands.

"Let's go to the baskets." Mayu suggested and smiled about the baby, who was already back at chewing on the fish.

* * *

After choosing a cat basket for Mao, the two women had looked for their other friend, who had in the meantime caught a teenage salesclerk and had bombarded her with questions about hamsters. Mayu only knew her being like this when the newest volume of 'Rose of Maurice' was finally out for sale.

Now, after Kiko finally had decided with the help of the 'expertise' of the teenager for a suitable cage, wheel and food, she held yet another item in her one free hand – the one not holding the box with the hamster. "Aww, Maurice will surely love this wooden climbing-castle!"

"Maurice?!" Yin asked in her emotionless voice.

"My super cute hamster, of course!" Kiko was almost cuddling the paper-box.

"The salesclerk said it was female." Yin pointed out, but was suddenly face-to-face with the pink-haired otaku. "Her name is _Maurice_." The Doll only nodded, not really getting her friend.

Kiko then turned her gaze at the other woman, now looking sweetly. "Maaayu-chaaaan?"

Ootsuka knew this look and the way she said her name. "Yeeees?"

"Will you be so kind and help me with the cage, food and toys?" Her puppy-dog eyes were big as saucers.

"Didn't you want to stop by at the large drugstore for your pink dye?"

"Naw, my hair can wait another day, but I wanna bring my sweet Maurice home safely." She peeked through the holes of the paper-transport-box onto her soon-to-be roommate. "You're soooo incredible cute!" She screeched again.

Mayu sighed. "Fine. But I wanna buy cat food for my boss first."

"Your boss eats cat food?!" Kiko was gaping at her friend like she had grown a second head.

The brunette's eyes widened. "No, of course not," she chuckled sheepishly. "For his cat… he takes to the office."

Now, Kiko looked suspicious at the other young woman. "I thought your boss was a woman, and not a man?" Hadn't she said that she worked for her old boss from the police, the brunette middle-aged woman she had met at the onsen and who had a date with the beautiful collarbone guy?

"Umm, I have two bosses." Mayu muttered cracking her brains for some plausible explanation, though this was the truth. Yet Kiko stared at her with a frown, not really buying it. "Well, you know I'm responsible for the information exchange between different divisions and I see the boss of the other Section also as my boss." Yep, this was good and not a complete lie.

Kiko's intuition told her that this was not the whole truth, but returned her attention to her hamster. "Whatever." She then faced Yin, who had observed the conversation while placing a few cans of cat food into the cart, she shared with Kiko. "Have you found everything, Kirsi-chan?"

The Doll nodded, – giving up for now her attempts to correct the older woman:, she had done so twice today with only temporary success. They approached the check-out counter where a mother and her son – elementary school age – were just paying. "I want a rabbit!" The little boy cried and was about to let himself fall to the floor to make a real scene when his mother threatened "Shinji, if you keep screaming like this, Contractors will come and cut your tongue out!" The boy immediately hushed and followed his mother out of the store, looking around fearfully.

"What's that for a crap is that?!" Kiko exclaimed, and looked after the mother perplexed. She hadn't met a Contractor yet, but even she could tell that this was exaggerated, made up and extremely nonsense.

"The boy will only be afraid of Contractors now." Mayu said and shook her head. She had also been anxious when she had joined Section 9 and Kirihara had informed them that they would have a Contractor on their team, but left out during the introduction that Hazuki was said Contractor. When the cat had suddenly started to speak, Mayu had first thought she had one of her weird anime-influenced dreams again, but then she thought it kinda cool to have a speaking animal as her boss. She now knew that Contractors wouldn't just harm innocent people, just because they wanted to – no, they just did it because their human bosses ordered them to do so.

"One of my neighbors also tells her children that they have to be inside before dusk otherwise Contractors would come and get them," Yin said, and even though she wasn't exactly sure what made her share this pointless information. However it was another attempt to participate in a normal social interaction – a conversation.

Kiko shook her head. "I hope you won't tell Bai-chan such trash."

"No. It's irrational to threaten children with lies." With the help of her specter Yin saw Mayu look strangely at her, but Kiko was already emptying the cart onto the counter and pushed the young mother forward to pay first. The Doll placed her daughter into the stroller and pulled the toy-fish from her lips, making her cry immediately. Bai's cries became louder with every second she was separated from her beloved fish and the cashier hurried to ring the item up. When the entire store had gathered to look what was wrong with the hysterical child, Yin had removed the price tag and swung the stick with the fish like a fishing-rod with the toy-fish being the worm and Bai the fish to catch into the stroller, and within one heartbeat the prey – Bai – had the fish in her mouth and was happily sucking on the fabric, her tears forgotten.

The cashier was not the only one to look baffled at mother and child. "Well, I just hope this stuff is not for your kid, too." She said and pointed onto the cat basket.

Yin knew a facial expression would be fitting and helpful, yet she wasn't sure what the right reaction was in this situation. She tried to recall how Hei's Li persona would react. He would surely blush and look baffled about the comment with his large eyes. She couldn't blush on cue – actually she hadn't blushed in the last fifteen years even once – but she could widen her eyes and look a little surprised. "No, she has a cradle, of course." Her voice was still monotone, but she managed to make it sound a nuance higher and quicker. The cashier chuckled and Yin paid.

* * *

Hei returned home with Mao in tow and the first thing he noticed – both of them – was the cat basket with a red cushion standing in a corner. In it lay a peacefully sleeping Bai, a stuffed toy-fish clutched to her tiny chest. The Contractors approached and the man looked at his wife curiously as she sat next to the basket, stroking their child. "Yin?"

The Doll didn't look up from her baby. "I bought the basket for Mao, if the man from the animal shelter comes."

The cat had sat down next to the young woman and looked up to her. "Thanks, Yin." He was surprised about the thoughts the Doll must have done to come to this conclusion.

Hei had crouched down next to the two and eyed his daughter. "Looks like you have to share your bed, Mao." After a moment of comfortable silence, the Black Reaper sighed. "Had I known she would prefer a cat basket about a bed then I could have spared myself the trouble of carrying her portacrib from city to city."

* * *

The night had been short like the last few, but this didn't influence Yin to do her new duty. While she amused Bai with the toy-fish-rod and made the child crawl in circles around her mother's body, Yin's specter was already busy with Emerald. Both blue blobs – during the training sessions she used the small version of her observer spirit, so no Contractor's would accidentally notice that the 'special Doll' was back in Tokyo – hurried down the long and busy corridors of the mall until they stopped in front of the toy store, with Yin following Emerald.

They had started at a dark alley two blocks away. Yin wanted to test if the escape routes she had taught the boy could be put into action or if he needed further commands. She had told him that two persons were after him – his real body would have take the place of his specter. This way he couldn't simply send his specter to the safe place, but had to jump from shady spot to shady spot to cover the entire way like his human body would have to do.

At first the specter had remained in the alley for several seconds. But Yin knew how hard it was to even decide between pre-programmed routes. _'Take always the one that is shortest unless it is compromised by the enemy.' _She had told him then - a new command and decision-making aid. This had been the missing puzzle piece and Emerald's specter had begun to lead the way. Then there was the next sticking point: the boy's specter hopped from one driving car's shadow to the next to cross the street – his real body would have been crushed. _' Look at the traffic lights. Only cross a street when the light is green.' _After this second order, Yin decided to restart the simulation at the alley.

This second try went smooth without further problems until they arrived at the toy store. Now the bluish blob of the boy remained in front of one of the three entrances. Yin also stopped in a water-dispenser across from their goal and waited. She knew that the boy was at a loss to decide which entrance he should take, yet she hoped her new command would take effect and this soon._' The men just turned the corner. They will reach you in less than a minute.' _She informed him and resumed patiently her observation of the boy's specter. _'30 seconds.' _Still no reaction.

Then when she was about to tell him that he had only 15 seconds left, the specter finally jumped to a shady spot closest to the door he had stood in front of for so long. From then on, he resumed his way quickly to the video game consoles, where many children his age stood._' The men are now closing in on your current location,.' _Yin said and watched the other specter jump to a smaller crowd of children and parents farther away from the wii and video games.

'_You did this very well,' _Yin praised and decided to end the test here. A 'you have passed' would have been sufficient, yet the Doll remembered the few 'thank yous' and few praises she had received by Mao and Hei. At first they were only words to her, but with time they began to mean more to her than a simple 'mission accomplished'. They meant that she was part of the team – not only a tool they used - and that her work was important and acknowledged. That she was acknowledged by them as more than just a replaceable good.

* * *

A/N: This was a more Yin-centric chapter. I hope you liked it.


	22. Chapter 22

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

Beta-reader: Antonio92 (many thanks to you)

A/N. Big thanks for the many reviews, Monotufu, tityuio, of fan and fic, InflatedChimp, Camille loves chocolate, Miwokgirl101, Tyloris, Shadowhawk, Saywer.

I watched some reportage about diseases (better than that reality TV crap). One was about albinos and another one about people with quirks, who know that their doings are irrational and contra productive (like the girl, who pulls out her hair) but can't do anything against the urge…  
I then went to Wikipedia and found out that there are different kinds of albinism and in rarer ones the people do have grey/silver hair (it's in the German article; the English one lacks this information).  
And in CSI Vegas they told that amber eyes are extremely rare (but do exist).  
Oh, and my dentist also has two different eye-colors (just not red and green like Maki).

DTB is an accumulation of genetic rarities.

OC description: 

_Emerald_: 10 year old Doll with medium 'shadow'; green eyes and really short brown hair; Asian

_Ivory:_ 13 year old Contractor; manipulating plants; remuneration: scratching himself bloody; light brown eyes and normal long brown hair (like July's hair length); Asian; Emerald's older brother

_Bai:_ 8 months old Contractor with telekinetic power; no remuneration; light brown hair and dark blue eyes

* * *

Chapter 22

Hei poured himself a cup of coffee and stifled a yawn. Someday he would kill his neighbors, but at the moment he waited for his new charge to show up. It didn't take long until the brothers strode into the office with equal expressions – eyes half closed and no smile whatsoever. But while Emerald walked over to his place next to the filing cabinet, Ivory stopped in front of Hei and glared up at the man. "What legal torture do you have in store for me today, old man?" His stomach still felt dull.

The Black Reaper's lips twitched into a small smirk. "Go to your desk and find out." His midnight blue eyes followed the boy to his table and watched him take in the item on top.

Ivory's brown eyes were a moment on the book with the strange letters on it before he stared up at his _teacher_. "What's that for?"

"You'll learn Russian."

"Why?"

"Because I told you to." Hei approached the boy with a stern expression. "And no more back-talk." He lifted his hand – still a few meters away from the teenager – and the boy sat down and opened the book reluctantly. Kouno, Saito and Hazuki shot him gazes about the thread, but this would stay between them – Saito and Kouno had too much _respect _for the legendary Black Reaper and Hazuki saw no rational reason to cook Hei's goose - yet.

All adults sat at the debriefing table as, a quarter of an hour later, Kirihara and Mao joined them. But instead of obeying Hei, Ivory tried again – now with the protection of the chief –to get around the new exercise. He lifted the book up, pointing at the Cyrillic letters. "Did this Suou also have to do this crap?" Ivory saw the brunette look startled onto the book, but to his disappointment she said nothing.

"She could speak and write Japanese and Russian fluently and learned English at school," Hei explained without even turning around to look at his unwilling student. "This was really not necessary with her." And aside from that, he had never wanted to turn Suou into an agent or assassin – he had only wanted to ensure that the girl could defend herself.

"I also had English at school." Ivory argued, but hoped that nobody would try to speak with him in that language.

"For how long?"

The teenager looked away and mumbled under his breath. "One year."

"Study." Hei commanded and turned to his new boss while everybody took a look at their PCs. "Anything new?"

"No. The Contractor indeed died from an aneurysm," the brunette said, facing her team minus the two occupied children. "Ootsuka's investigation of the container showed that the papers are faked. Neither the sending or receiving addresses exist."

Now Mayu continued. "I dug further and it turned out that containers have arrived with faked papers on a bi-weekly cycle the past five months." The young brunette tabbed onto her iPad. "Furthermore, those containers were unloaded the same evening the ship arrived in Tokyo, only to be back on another ship the next morning with new cargo."

"Is there anything else, Ootsuka-san?" Hei asked.

"The only thing I noticed was that the containers are always heavier on their way from Tokyo than when they had arrived here."

"So they transport something different each turn." Kouno concluded. "Something from inside the Gate?"

"Possible."

"Anyways..." All attention returned to Misaki. "Kouno and Ootsuka will take the surveillance van, Saito and I one of our undercover cars, while Hei and Hazuki will keep a closer eye on the container from the neighboring cargos when the ship arrives this evening at 8:42pm. We'll dispatch a strike force to the parking lot of a nearby 24/7 supermarket in case it's needed."

"What's the procedure?" Hazuki asked.

"Scout it out first. I want to know who the people are and hopefully what the cargo is." She turned her head to face the cat-Contractor. "Mao will drop a bug into the goods while they unload."

Hei frowned. "What do you need Hazuki and me for?"

"In case Mao is caught or they jam the signal. Then one of you will have to sneak onto their truck. In any case, we need to know where the contents of this container end up." Misaki said and looked over to the young Doll. "That's why Emerald will also track them." The boy could do this from his room on one of the higher floors of the Syndicate building, officially known as the HQ of Section 9.

"And what's with me?" Ivory peeped up, his book already closed again.

His boss turned around and eyed the boy. "You'll get ready for bed."

"What?! Why?!" This Black Reaper was only the third day here and he was already replaced! "Why do you keep me when you have no use of me, Kirihara-san?!"

Misaki exhaled sharply, this boy really was a handful. "There will be missions you'll attend but not this one, Ivory. The harbor is no place for children. You would attract more attention than we need." This reason wasn't particularly believable, but before the boy could complain – and he was already about to do so – she flipped the book back open. "You'll study." They stared at each other for several seconds until Ivory huffed and turned his gaze back to the book.

Actually Misaki was glad that Hei deemed the boy as not yet ready for a real confrontation. Ivory was a Contractor, but she still thought it wrong to send a child into a life-and-death battle. Their work was dangerous and he was still too young. His place should be at school right now or hanging out with kids his age, but with that mouth of his, he would sooner or later end up beaten up or strangling someone with a plant. So this was the best solution – and he could learn from the best.

* * *

The evening had arrived and everyone had gotten to their positions in time to watch three large trucks arrive with heavily armed guards before the desired ship was within sight.

"Mercenaries," Hazuki breathed into her radio from her place on top of a nearby building.

Hei was ready to strike as the Black Reaper, his mask and coat in place. He crouched on a container in the shadows of the neighbored higher stacked containers. "Ex-military," he confirmed, from the manner in which the men held their semi-automatic guns and observed the perimeter.

"I count 26 men. These are too many even for you, BK-201, to sneak past them into the truck," Hei heard the female Contractor say. Unfortunately she was right. Twenty-six men – with not all of them armed – would be easy for him to take out with Hazuki's help, but that was not their objective. They needed to find their base.

"They are prepared," Misaki said, watching with binoculars as the ship approached. About half an hour later the container touched the ground of the harbor as the first cargo to be unloaded from the ship. Immediately two workers opened the container and another group of six men got in only to come back out with crates a moment later. They loaded the goods into one of the waiting trucks. "Mao, it's your turn."

"On my way, Misaki." The cat stretched and left the shady hideout between two rows of containers. Sneaky and quiet as any feline, he approached the vehicle and decided that there were too many people to not attract any attention. So the Contractor used his appearance and rubbed his head against the leg of the guard closest to the open hatch of the truck.

"Huh?" The man looked down alerted, but his features relaxed as he saw the black animal. "Looking for food, little stray?" He asked in English and the cat waved its tail. "You would have more luck with catching something from the sea than with me, kitty."

Mao narrowed his eyes as the man ignored him. _'Why do I have to pick out the only cat-loving guard?!'_He then strode over to the next man, who immediately had the desired reaction: he kicked the animal away from his leg and made Mao 'flee in panic' into the truck. The Contractor wiggled his way around the legs of two workers carrying a crate to the back of the transporter.

Squeezing his body between two boxes, he ended up in a corner at the back of the car and began to scratch his neck, or rather his collar. He struggled somewhat to get the bug from the neckband Mayu had attached a few hours ago. After a few tries, and a claw caught in the leather band, Mao succeeded and the small device dropped to the floor next to him.

Already sneaking back out, Mao heard the nice guard scold to other one in English, "Why did you do that, idiot? Get your ass in there and get the cat out nicely!" Just as the Contractor was about to step out, his attacker showed up next to the open hatch and grasped him by the neck roughly. While hanging from the man's hand, Mao finally got a good view of his and the other guards' faces. To his surprise only two of them were Asian. But he couldn't marvel about this for long when the man pulled his arm back and catapulted him a good fifty meters over a dumpster.

With a high pitch screech that sounded neither human nor cat, Mao soared through the night air and instinctively stretched his legs before he collided hard with the concrete. His paws hurt from the impact, but he guessed that he hadn't broken anything. _'I sometimes wish cats could fly…' _Being a flying squirrel wasn't that bad.

After shaking his head he listened in on his team's conversation and immediately caught the concern in Mayu's voice. "Mao? Are you there? Are you alright?"

"Yep."

The brunette breathed a sigh of relief. "We lost contact with you as soon as you were within a ten meters radius of the truck."

Mao glanced over to the busy people unloading the container. "The signal is jammed?"

"Yes," came Misaki's angry voice over the ear-clip, which wasn't a normal fashion accessory for animals. "Emerald can't send his specter near the cargo."

Mao's eyes widened. "They can block a Doll's observer spirit?!" Not many people were able to get their hands onto this kind of technology.

Misaki was angry and frustrated about the turn of events. Those people were far more organized than they had anticipated and they now had to track the truck the old fashioned way – traffic supervision would surely be also manipulated by them and sending Hei and Hazuki down there would only alert them that someone was on their heels. "Did you find anything while you were down there, Mao?"

With hurting paws, the cat slowly made his way back to their van, which was parked on the other end of the harbor. "Whoever this organization is, their security is a mix of different nationalities. Only their workers seem to be locals." He heard a growling sound over the earpiece and knew that the brunette was boiling.

But before Misaki could vent her anger or shout new instructions, Hazuki informed them about the newest developments. "They are on the move." The black haired woman watched two workers close the hatch – three guards inside – as another three guards got into the car to drive off.

Misaki was revving the old Hyundai. "Saito and I will tail them. Kouno, you'll join us as well." It was better to have more than one car following another one. They could switch positions and drive on parallel roads, this way it was more unlikely that they would be caught.

"Understood, chief." The dark blond man said as he climbed behind the steering wheel of the van and opened the door a crack to let Mao in.

"Hei, Hazuki, you'll find out what they load into that damn container." Misaki was already back on the road.

"Understood." Both Contractors replied and focused their attention onto the second truck. The vehicle was rolling backwards to the open container while a fork truck approached. Both wondered what could be so heavy to use a machine for help – apparently the other crates weren't that heavy.

Hei frowned when he watched them transfer a generator from the truck to the container, followed by a large capsule. With widened eyes he refocused his binoculars to get a better view. "That's a Doll's chamber."

Hazuki had a better sight from her angle. "It's not empty."

"They smuggle Dolls?" Hei muttered. It would be a lot easier if they would retrieve the Dolls from the tanks.

"They must have a Doll Network they move." Hazuki watched them roll a second chamber from the truck. "Or they're selling a complete Doll System to someone."

"But how did they get their hands on so many Dolls without someone noticing?" Hei wondered aloud, observing as they moved a fourth Doll. After another two, the truck was apparently empty and the last car was opened only to have more crates being loaded into the container.

The two watched for another half hour until both empty trucks left and the container remained with eight heavily armed guards at the harbor. Without doubt the cargo was valuable. More minutes passed by until the two saw the pointlessness of their observation: The guards would remain there until the container was loaded onto the other ship that would leave in the morning.

* * *

Hei staggered tired into his apartment around midnight. Their observation was a complete failure: Misaki and Kouno had lost sight of the first truck due to an American check-point and Hazuki and himself had been unable to get any more information. He dropped his jacket onto the backrest of a chair in the living-room and continued his way to the bedroom stealthily to not wake his two women, though he doubted that Yin would be asleep. The Doll had always waited for him to return – even in the beginnings of their run from the Syndicate. It was like she had wanted to make sure he was alright.

Wordlessly the Black Reaper walked over to the bed in the dim room – their 'old-sky lamp' being the only source of light. On the mattress sat Yin dressed in his black tank-top and next to her laid their sweet little daughter fast asleep. Hei smiled softly, crawled onto the bed and placed his head onto his wife's lap – his dark gaze turned to look at their child.

Immediately Yin's hands found his dark hair and she began running her fingers tenderly through his black locks. After a while of only watching his daughter sleep, Hei lifted his hand to one of his wife's and pulled it gently to his lips, kissing her fingertips. They didn't need any words.

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter. I started a new job and thus I'm tried in the evening. Therefore the updates might take a few days longer than before.


	23. Chapter 23

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

Beta-reader: Antonio92 (many thanks to you)

A/N. Big thanks for the many reviews, Monotufu, tityuio, of fan and fic, InflatedChimp, Camille loves chocolate, Maiden of Sin, Blast Emperor, Shadowhawk, Saywer, miss nobody.

I'm so sorry for the long wait, but my new jobs keeps me occupied (and I'm too tired to write in the evening) and then I had a terrible tooth surgery last week and I'm still on Paracetamol and look like a hamster with a stuffed cheek…

OC description: 

_Emerald_: 10 year old Doll with medium 'shadow'; green eyes and really short brown hair; Asian

_Ivory:_ 13 year old Contractor; manipulating plants; remuneration: scratching himself bloody; light brown eyes and normal long brown hair (like July's hair length); Asian; Emerald's older brother

_Bai:_ 8 months old Contractor with telekinetic power; no remuneration; light brown hair and dark blue eyes

* * *

Chapter 23

"Why the heck should I learn Russian!?" Ivory turned towards Misaki, who left all decisions concerning the young Contractor to Hei – as long as he didn't hit him again. "I thought he would train me! Or am I supposed to throw books at my enemies?!"

Misaki sighed. She didn't really know what the Black Reaper was trying to achieve, but the boy would at least have something to do – other than bugging his colleagues. She held the pen against her cheek, taking in the new information that she had just added to their board. They had found yet another Contractor's body with traces of this black dust in his nose, which didn't make any sense at all. "Can anyone here please tell me a rational reason why a known Contractor would take stuff that turns humans into Contractors?"

"It's completely irrational." Ivory answered and lifted the book back up. "Do I really have to study this language with its mirror-inverted letters?!"

"Will you stop the whining?" Mao yawned as he eyed the board.

"Ki-ri-ha-ra-san! Are you even listening to me?"

"Yes, dammit!" The woman whirled around, glaring daggers at the boy. "Sit down and keep reading that damn book!" When she turned back to the rest of her team, virtually everyone was gapping at her – Hei, who just re-entered the office, looked like he had opened the door to an alternate universe.

He casually stepped inside and went over to Mao, whispering in his direction. "What did I miss?"

Misaki's stern gaze centered on the Black Reaper. "Where have _you _been now, Hei?!" This migraine was returning…

Hei looked strangely at his boss, not used to her short temper. "Getting newspapers?" he replied, lifting a heap up.

Misaki placed her hands onto her hips and eyed the man and the stack of paper. "You aren't here to read the sports articles, dammit! Nothing makes sense anymore and now you have to wander off!"

Hei ran his hand through his dark hair. "Misaki, calm down. The newspapers are for the brat, so he does something useful once in a while."

"Hey!" Ivory complained but was immediately hushed by Misaki's burning gaze on him.

"Care to explain?"

The Contractor placed the heap onto a desk and lifted the one on top up. _The New York Times_ "I thought while practicing his English the kid could look for some overseas articles that might be related to our case."

"Okay." But they both knew he wasn't off the hook yet – he had been gone for far too long to have simply fetched newspapers.

Hei leaned against a table, not intimidated in the slightest by her angry glare. "I was near the Wall. I wanted to have an impression of the security and all, in case we need to break into PANDORA for information."

Suddenly Misaki's face relaxed somewhat, her hands left her hips. "Fine, at least you didn't slack off." Her gaze returned to the teenager. "And why does he have to learn Russian?"

"Well, speaking different languages is never a bad thing, especially not for someone working in our business." Kirihara still glared at him, but her features relaxed. "You can listen in on conversations, among other things…"

This was a rational explanation. "Fine. I'll learn this language." Ivory reopened the book, but then looked back up to the adults with a frown. "And with whom shall I practice?"

"Get those words into your brain, then we can talk." Hei offered.

Misaki was surprised, this piece of information wasn't in Hei's file – the one they had taken from the old Syndicate. "You speak Russian, Hei?"

"Yes."

"What other languages do you speak?"

Hei looked up startled. "Well, Japanese and Chinese obviously, Russian, English and I know my way around Portuguese and Spanish."

Kirihara was impressed. "Mao, did you know this?"

The cat shook his head, staring at his old friend. "When did you learn all of those, Hei?"

The Black Reaper was a little baffled that even Mao was surprised. "Well, during Heaven's War… Amber had said that knowing different languages was an advantage." He now was sure the woman had known that Russian would come in handy while he worked for the CIA in Russia more than two years ago. "And there was plenty of time between killing Contractors, so…" The man shrugged his shoulders and sank down on a chair at their debriefing table, taking in the board and the meager information it held about the Black Dust.

Misaki sighed and shook her head at the cursed Contractor, before retrieving a folder from the tabletop. She had hunted him for years and had seen him fight many times, not to mention the fact that she had inspected the crime scenes he had left behind, but now it was time he did his first assignment for her. She could send Hazuki, but she wanted to confuse the other agencies and the Americans when suddenly the missing-in-action BK-201 showed up in Tokyo with no obvious ties to any organization. Maybe she could make them feel so frustrated about his doings like she had been more than five years ago while her superiors knew exactly what had been going on.

"Oreille got a tip that a man will be smuggling a substance from within the Gate out. Tonight." She slid a picture in front of the black-haired Contractor. "You'll retrieve the object."

Hei memorized the face, while his jaw clenched. The Misaki he knew from years ago wasn't one who could take the lives of people - even criminals – easily: she would only do it to protect others. "What about the man, Misaki?" He hadn't even closed his mouth before his stomach growled fearsomely and made all his new colleagues look at him, startled, while Hei tried to ignore their gazes and his own embarrassment.

The brunette's face was straight, ignoring the glutton. "If possible, take him alive. In any case, we'll extract information with the ME squeezer. Maybe he knows something about the Black Dust or is the one smuggling the black dandelions and other materials out of the Gate."

"Got it." Hei said as his hunger made itself known once again.

Kirihara still ignored the grumbling stomach and looked at Emerald, who was already occupied with his training. "The Doll Network is already observing all entrances around the Wall. Emerald will keep track of the target when he shows up and tell you his location." Now, Hei's stomach wasn't the only one growling like a bear. "Fine!" Misaki threw her hands up into the air, trying to hide her embarrassment behind frustration and anger. "Let's take a break!"

* * *

It was the first time that the entire Section 9 met up in the break room and Hei immediately became the focus of almost everyone's interest – or more exactly, the large amounts of instant food the Contractor was retrieving from his bag and stacking up on the kitchen counter next to a water boiler.

"That's a joke, right!?" Kouno yelped, wide-eyed, as he watched the legendary Black Reaper rip ten packages of instant ramen up and empty the contents into a large salad bowl. Even Hazuki was looking rather dumbfounded at the other Contractor, which would have given Ootsuka time to find another seat – away from her groping grasp – but unfortunately for the young brunette, she was also staring at their new colleague pouring boiling water onto the noodles.

"Don't worry, Kouno." Mao muttered while his stomach growled like a wolf – or a hungry Hei – when he smelled the delicious cat food Mayu had brought for him. Mayu's eyes were still glued to her secret crush while she opened the can and dumped the flesh onto a saucer in front of her feline boss.

"You'll stop wondering with time," Misaki muttered, pulling a couple of boxes of warmed-up tempura from the microwave while Hei ignored the stares and comments and stirred his soup nonchalantly.

Ivory stood next to his mentor and pushed his salami pizza into the stove. "You ain't gonna eat that all by yourself, old man?!" Usually the boy ate at the small cafeteria on the first floor of the building, but he had his own small stash of food and desserts in Section 9's break room. He sometimes didn't like the meals on offer, and there wasn't much else he wanted to do with his salary anyways.

Hei remained quiet and fetched a bowl from a cupboard and poured a little bit of his incredible amount of ramen in it, before carrying both bowls over to the large table. Wordlessly he placed the normal sized meal in front of Emerald and sunk down on a chair between the Doll and Kouno, across from Misaki. He began to shovel in the soup while most of his co-workers watched him in astonished disbelief. After a while he saw from the corner of his eye that the young boy still stared into the space before himself while his food got cold. With a sigh, Hei swallowed. "Emerald, when someone puts food in front of you, then you should eat it." With an afterthought he added, "when you are hungry."

The boy nodded and picked his chopsticks up while Hei's gaze still remained on the child. He was so different from the Dolls Hei had worked with before – more like the Doll he and Yin had saved from the Yakuza so many years ago. But he couldn't really compare Emerald with his Yin or July. Both Dolls had been in service for many years before he had met either of them. Emerald was just freshly reset.

Misaki watched the Black Reaper resume his meal while she chewed on a fried broccoli. From the corner of her eyes she caught the still baffled stares of her team at the dark haired Chinese. Nobody had ever dared to say anything and most of her team had known her far too long, but the brunette hadn't missed the occasional head shakes about the rather large amounts of greasy food she usually ate. But today, no one would come close to thinking her food strange. "You know, Hei, it's great to eat with you." She saw the confused gazes of her entire team rest on her – even Hei had pulled his face from his bowl. "Next to you, my eating habits look completely normal." She said with a bright smile and popped another fried broccoli into her mouth.

"It's still unhealthy," Hei commented.

She narrowed her eyes at him. He was the only one who dared to say something like this. Maybe Mao and Hazuki would, too. "I love fried food. It tastes great."

"I believe that's only because you haven't tasted good non-fried food before. I think I have to cook for you, Misaki, to widen your horizon." On that comment Hei had the angry gaze of his boss and the jealous one of Saito on him.

"You can cook, Li-san?" Mayu was on clouds again. This handsome guy could even cook. He was perfect! Well, he was a ruthless killer, but he was nice, looked great and could even cook. What more could she want?

Mao lifted his head from his plate while Hei resumed downing his meal. "He's an excellent cook when he keeps his hands away from alcohol."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hei shot back, his eyes narrowing at the cat.

"You drowned the curry in vodka instead of coconut-milk!" The older Contractor complained. "Suou and July fell almost asleep during the meal!"

"Oh, you mean Sapporo," Hei shrugged. "I had promised Suou to stop drinking, but I wouldn't let go the alcohol to waste." He saw the alarmed gaze of Misaki. "The kids weren't drunk. Most of the alcohol had boiled away… It was nothing a few spoons of cough syrup couldn't do."

Sometimes – in situations like this one – Misaki worried about his daughter. The sweet, innocent Li she thought she had known– but who was just a good act – would have never done something irresponsible like that or beating children. Every time she thought she had found a glimpse of the man she had considered a friend, he did something like this and reminded her of the fact that she had never really known him in the first place, bringing a pang to her heart and reminding her of the questions she had wanted to ask him so badly after the first Tokyo Explosion.

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter.

Before any questions arise: In S2 it was shown that they were even able to extract information/memories with the ME Squeezer from dead people, so it doesn't matter if Hei kills his target or not (as long as the brain is still intact, I think).


	24. Chapter 24

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

Beta-reader: Antonio92 (many thanks to you)

A/N. Big thanks for the many reviews, Monotufu, tityuio, of fan and fic, InflatedChimp, Camille loves chocolate, Maiden of Sin, rebeldon117, Shadowhawk, A. .

I'm really sorry for the long wait and I hope that the next chapter won't take this long.

There are some references to BOTH mangas in this chapter, but I don't think it's much of a spoiler (I still haven't completely read the first DTB manga (the one with the weird drawings) yet).

OC description: 

_Emerald_: 10 year old Doll with medium 'shadow'; green eyes and really short brown hair; Asian

_Ivory:_ 13 year old Contractor; manipulating plants; remuneration: scratching himself bloody; light brown eyes and normal long brown hair (like July's hair length); Asian; Emerald's older brother

_Bai:_ 8 months old Contractor with telekinetic power; no remuneration; light brown hair and dark blue eyes

* * *

Chapter 24

The sun was only rising over Tokyo, but one back-alley was already full of cars and people. "You know what I really like about BK-201?" Kouno said, getting the attention of Saito and Hei, who was lifting his latest victim into a body bag with the help of another man. "It's that his crime scenes are always clean. No blood, no innards… Just the body." He picked up a tiny broken device from under a dumpster and pocketed it, throwing a meaningful glance at their new Contractor.

"He surely appreciates your praise of his work." Hei smirked and pulled the zipper of the bag up. "I just hope for you that he doesn't change his style suddenly." His voice was a little higher than when he usually spoke with them – he sounded more like his Li alter ego, which had surprised his colleagues.

Kouno grinned back at the Contractor, who was posing as one of the 'nobodies' from their forensic unit. "Then, it's actually your problem to get all the grime into little plastic bags, Li-san." Because of a lost radio ear-plug – it had slipped from his ear when the victim had struggled and tried to hit the Black Reaper, scratching his ear - Hei had returned to his crime scene to look for it with the help of the sun light. The local police and thus Section 4 had only arrived when Misaki and her team were already there to take over again – and to help Hei finding the broken device.

While her team was securing every trace Hei might have left behind – which usually only were his double-bladed knives – Kirihara a.k.a. Ichinose took care of all the vultures that were circling their crime scene. The news that BK-201 had made his appearance in Tokyo had spread like a wildfire through the police and different agencies.

"I see, you are still enthralled by the cursed Contractor BK-201, Chief Ichinose." Kirihara pronounced his daughter's alias as he walked up to Section 9's chief. He was surprised to see her here, introducing herself with a fake name.

"Let's call it my hobbyhorse, Superintendent Kirihara." Misaki shot a death glare at Section 4's chief Shoda, who had obviously called the Superintendent Supervisor of the National Police Agency to get his investigation back. "I understand that Section 4 is not happy about our interference, but since BK-201 seems to be involved in this incident, it's a matter of national concern and not only of this city alone."

Misaki saw that her father was about to interject – which would have been futile anyway. "And aside from this, PANDORA and the American forces have also shown their interest in this case." This was no surprise, since Hei had retrieved a box with three lilac violets – all plants still alive – from the now-deceased man the former night. Saito had told PANDORA and the Americans - who both of course knew that the plants had been smuggled out of the Gate – that there had been nothing found with the corpse. Which was the truth: the box in question was safely stowed away at their Syndicate's HQ, thanks to Hazuki.

Naoyasu first looked at his daughter then his gaze travelled over the crime scene. In close proximity to the dead body stood two black vans and two men he recognized as his daughter's former subordinates from the police. He watched them follow one of the forensic guys – a thin black haired man, who wheeled the body to one of the vans. Kirihara observed the big ex-cop smile as he talked to the forensic. "…the worst looking Contractor crime scene of all ages are still the ones of Harvest, Li-kun." The younger black haired man closed the door of the van and replied– his back still to Kirihara. "A dissolved body is hard to top in beastliness." Then the man turned around and Kirihara's eyes were glued to the black haired man.

Misaki saw her father's gaze being pinned on Hei and her old suspicions were revived. "Is there something else, Superintendent Kirihara?"

Naoyasu still stared at the Contractor. "Umm, nothing… You should keep a closer eye on your subordinates."

Misaki hitched one eyebrow. "Why is that so?"

Finally, her father looked back at her, but maybe it was due to the fact that Hei was in the van's backseat. "They have private talks during their duty. I recommend a background-check to find the bad apples."

Misaki smirked. "I'll keep that in mind." She stepped away when Saito had called over that they were done. Walking past the police line, she gazed at Shoda. "The crime scene is now all yours." She didn't miss the angered glare of Section 4's chief. They left them a completely worthless crime scene.

Hei had seen the stare of the man in the suit and didn't like it one bit. "Who's that man talking with Misaki?"

Saito got comfortable in the seat next to the Black Reaper and glanced out the window and over to his secret love. "Oh, that's her father."

Hei eyed the man from the corner of his eyes while he watched his boss approach and get into the passenger seat. "That was quite interesting, Misaki," he muttered as soon as she had closed the door and the van's engine roared to life.

The head of the Syndicate glanced at the Black Reaper. The man had indeed noticed that something was up with her father. "Just my line."

"Did you ever suspect him to be one of them?"

"Actually, yes." She saw Hei's eyes widen is surprise. "The day of the Tokyo Explosion I got a strange call from him… but I wasn't able to verify my suspicions." She paused a moment and her gaze travelled over to the window and her father standing outside while they drove away. "Until now." Then she locked gazes with the Contractor through the rearview mirror. "He doesn't seem to know that you are working with us, Hei. He seems to think you infiltrated Section 9."

Kouno and Saito looked from Hei to their boss and back. "May I ask what you are talking about?" Kouno eventually said and got Misaki's attention. "Was he one of the former Syndicate?"

Misaki nodded. "There are just too many signs."

"What are you gonna do now? I mean… he is your father, chief." Saito stuttered.

Hei eventually leaned back against the backrest and closed his eyes. "The best option is to see and wait at the moment. The old Syndicate had members in all governments and in all positions. It's only logical that there are still people left in higher positions, who survived the crumble of that organization."

"I'll have Emerald observe his actions." Misaki decided and watched the Chinese yawn. "You can take the rest of the day off, Hei, but be on call just in case." This order concerned everybody at the Syndicate. Basically they were on duty 24/7.

"Sure," the Contractor mumbled, he was used to this anyway.

This exchange made Saito frown and pull his new smart-phone out of his jacket's inner pocket. "I don't have your number, Li-kun." He pressed an icon on the screen, but a different app opened. "This damn thing!" he muttered and tried to return to the main screen.

"Your phone acting up again, Saito?" Kouno asked from the driver seat and grinned at his longtime partner, who gritted his teeth at the device that never wanted the way he wanted.

Misaki sighed. Her new phone had six pixel errors that made it sometimes hard to read messages properly. _'Where the hell did Goro got those new smart phones from?! Half of them are trash!'_ But the brunette refrained from speaking this out loud and turned her head to look at the two men at the backseat, when Saito exclaimed in victory as he finally opened the right program.

"Yes! Now you can give me your number, Li-kun." The big man looked at the Contractor with a bright smile.

"I don't have one."

Saito's face fell in disappointment that his struggle with his phone had been in vain, while Kouno frowned. "You don't have a cell phone?!"

Hei shrugged and cracked his eyes open. "Those things are a high security risk. You of all people should know how easily people can be tracked by their cell phones." He saw that the man was about to interject. "And even if you got the newest gear to hide from programs, there are still Dolls, who use cell phones as their medium and can even listen to your conversations." The widened eyes of his colleagues didn't go unnoticed by the dark haired man. "The smarter the phones the easier it is to be tracked… no, thank you."

"And how shall we get in touch with you?" Saito asked after a while. The info about the Dolls was new to him and he didn't like the prospect to be observed at all, but what should he do? Who could imagine a life without a cell phone?

"Use Emerald." Hei yawned again and closed his eyes. "Tell him to contact my Doll."

Kouno grinned about the obviously tired Contractor while Saito stowed his defective phone away. "The happiness of being a parent, huh?"

The Black Reaper leaned back and crossed his arms about his chest, his eyes still closed. "The baby is an angel. It's the damn neighbors."

"Huh?"

"They start arguing as soon as her husband comes home and won't stop till the wee hours of the morning."

Misaki turned her head to look at the man. "Why don't you make a complaint of disturbance of the peace of the night, Hei?" Sure, the man didn't want to raise attention on him and his family, but with their new aliases and background – and the Syndicate observing all police activity – this shouldn't be a problem.

The Contractor gritted his teeth. "The neighbors already did that years ago… I looked it up." With his new occupation he finally had access to the police database. "The police gave it up… just like the neighbors did… I'm already looking for another apartment."

"Good luck then. Finding an affordable flat in Tokyo can take many months nowadays." Kouno steered the van through an American checkpoint – Misaki had showed them her ID of Section 9 and thus they were allowed to pass without a thoughtfully inspection of the entire van and its occupants.

* * *

At their HQ everyone but the Black Reaper gathered at the debriefing table, where Hazuki and Ootsuka already waited. BK-201 approached the smugly grinning teenager, who offered him his exercises of writing the Cyrillic letters.

Hei's gaze quickly scanned the two sheets of paper. The different handwriting made his chin clench in anger and face the young Doll, who stood like a statue in a corner of the room. "Emerald, did you do your brother's assignment?" He didn't miss the widening eyes of the teenager or his eyes being suddenly glued to his hand. Anticipating physical punishment.

"Yes." The younger boy answered like a robot.

Hei's dead-like eyes centered on the older boy, while he still addressed the Doll. "You won't help your brother with his training, Emerald."

"Understood."

The Black Reaper knew that this command lacked clarification – Yin and July would be able to figure out if someone tried to find a way around it – but Emerald was just too _young_. Without any trace of his anger on his features, Hei lifted the homework up and tore the paper into pieces. "You'll do it again and now use one sheet per letter."

"What?! Do you know how many-"

"Shut it!" hissed Hei and the boy obeyed unwillingly, his rational mind telling him that obedience was the safest course to not being hit again. "Start now. I want to see it finished on your desk when I come to work on Monday." Hei didn't miss the hatred-filled glare the boy shot him, before the indifferent Contractor mask settled back into place. But he ignored Ivory and walked over to his chair and his waiting team-members.

Misaki knew everyone wanted to call it a day – they had all worked the entire night – and so she didn't beat around the bush. "Ootsuka, did you find anything in the database about the lilac violas?"

The brunette nodded. "Not much. They are definitively from inside the Gate. More than 15 years ago during the first expedition into Hell's Gate, the sole survivor had apparently smuggled seeds of this plant out. But due to his murder almost six years ago in which foreign agents and BK-201 were involved, we know nothing about the flowers' effects. We had been the ones investigating that case back then."

Everyone's gaze centered on Hei, but Mao was the one answering – while scratching his neck like crazy. "That guy that used his daughter as a guinea pig."

"I remember," muttered Hei and looked at the board with the Black Dust information.

"What do you know?" Misaki's voice was sharp and commanding. Maybe they didn't need to wait for the ME-data of the dead man to get some useful hints.

The Black Reaper shook his head. "I don't know what this flower has to do with the Black Dust." He tore his gaze away from the board and faced his team. "Actually, it has the opposite effect."

"What?!"

"The scientist's little daughter was a Contractor and he implanted one of the seeds into her wrist to suppress her Contractor persona and power."

Misaki frowned. "Was he successful?"

Hei nodded somewhat. "She lived normally for years."

"But why wasn't this announced anywhere?" Kouno inquired confused. Many people were looking for some kind of cure since the old sky had disappeared.

"Because the flower was no cure. On the contrary, the girl's Contract payment was only postponed and not abandoned." The Black Reaper saw the interjections of Saito and Mayu coming. "When the effect of the seed eventually wore off, the girl turned into a Moratorium." He paused a moment. "She was the cause of the fires in Tokyo six years ago."

"So she is a Doll now?" Mayu asked tentatively. In her opinion this was far worse than being a Contractor, who still had an own will and a persona. Dolls were slaves and depended on the goodwill of others.

Hei shook his head again. "She turned into a normal Contractor again."

"B-but…"

His midnight-blue eyes centered on his wife's new friend. "She's the one exception. Maybe it's due to the fact that she was a Contractor to begin with."

"What had happened to the girl?" Misaki asked curiously.

"We handed her over to the former Syndicate." Mao was still scratching like there was no tomorrow.

Silence befell the group. Everyone contemplated if this was just a new case or if there was indeed some kind of connection to their main case. "What if someone wants to create some kind of antidote to the Black Dust?" Kouno mused aloud.

"But those people obviously take the stuff voluntarily to become Contractors and the effect is only temporarily," Hazuki interjected. "So an antidote is not needed."

"Maybe it's someone whose relative turned naturally into a Contractor or Doll?" Mayu muttered and stole another glance at her crush. He was so handsome, even with this dark expression and his half-closed eyes.

Hei crossed his arms and stifled a yawn. "Do we at least know who the man is?"

Mayu tore her eyes reluctantly away and looked at her pc. "Ikari Kensuke. He worked for a small pharmacy corporation here in Japan, but he was a volunteer helper in the earthquake-destroyed region of Turkey for the last two months." She frowned. "He returned to Japan only three days ago."

"Why would a good Samaritan suddenly break into the Gate or PANDORA and steal a substance that can suppress Contractor abilities?" Misaki summed up and sighed. "The ME squeezer will take at least a few more hours… dammit." Her gaze centered on the other brunette woman. "Ootsuka, dig a little deeper. What did he really do in Turkey? I want to have everything you find on my desk before you go."

The younger woman nodded and inwardly sighed that she would have to call Kiko to cancel their meeting today. Maybe she could go a little later… but deep down she knew that was an unreasonable hope. While all of her colleagues had been on duty this entire night, she had been the only one - not counting Ivory – to sleep peacefully in her bed. Now it was her turn to find new leads.

* * *

A/N: I hope there are still people out there reading this piece after the long break.


	25. Chapter 25

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

A/N. Big thanks for the many reviews, Monotufu, tityuio, of fan and fic, InflatedChimp, Camille loves chocolate, Tyloris, howlin4you, deathnoteno1fan-codegeasslover, A.J Sawyer, miss nobody .

Here comes a chapter with Yin and Hei spending a weekend as a family; a little like InflatedChimp requested. Bai-action will come in the next chapter (the second part), tityuio.

OC description: 

_Emerald_: 10 year old Doll with medium 'shadow'; green eyes and really short brown hair; Asian

_Ivory:_ 13 year old Contractor; manipulating plants; remuneration: scratching himself bloody; light brown eyes and normal long brown hair (like July's hair length); Asian; Emerald's older brother

_Bai:_ 8 months old Contractor with telekinetic power; no remuneration; light brown hair and dark blue eyes

* * *

Chapter 25

The sun fell in bright rays through the curtains and warmed Yin's pale hand as she gently traced a scar on her lover's shoulder. Her head rested on his well-toned chest, her long silver strains were spread over his black tank-top, which matched hers. She loved the quiet and peacefulness of the early mornings. It was as if the world and their pursuers didn't exist. As if it was just them. Their little family and no one else. Yin knew those were highly irrational thoughts, yet she couldn't and didn't want to do anything against them.

Beneath her, Hei's body shifted slightly and his hand resting on the small of her back wandered a few inches up – squeezing her tighter against his large frame. "Good morning," the Black Reaper mumbled sleepily and pressed his lips to her silver head while his free arm also found its way to her back.

"Hei," the Doll breathed and snuggled up even more in her lover's strong embrace. Both lay there content in the other one's presence – Hei stroking her back gently while her fingers feathered about one of his many scars. Suddenly, a shuffling and a babbling came from the crib next to them and Yin's specter appeared immediately between the two beds, lifting their little girl up into her arms. Lovingly the observer spirit cradled the child to her chest and pressed a kiss to the girl's nose. "Bai."

The baby giggled and looked with her large blue eyes up to her mother's expressionless features, yet Mao, who lay curled up at the edge of the bed, was surprised to see the shadow of emotions twinkle in the apparition's purple eyes. Slowly rocking the child in her arms Yin's twin carried the cooing girl over to the couple lying in the main bed of the room. The real Yin scooted somewhat over to make room for Bai to be placed next to her onto her father's stomach. While Hei's hand had left the Doll's back and was now rubbing tender circles on his daughter's, the observer spirit had de-materialized.

"Good morning, princess," Hei whispered with a bright smile and placed a peck onto the girl's lips. But Bai was already wide awake and had other plans than to cuddle with her parents. So the baby slid down from her father's body. The glowing numbers of the digital clock on the nightstand had caught her attention. With a tight grasp on the child's hem to keep her from falling off the bed's edge, Hei watched her crawl babbling towards the device. But unfortunately for both of them the clock stood on the farther end of the small tabletop. Without delay the baby sat onto her butt and stretched her tiny hands towards the clock, her eyes lighting up in crimson. Not even a second later that strange feeling was already struggling with her powers again and had like always the upper hand.

Hei sighed as he saw his daughter use her ability again. "Oh, please, Bai, it isn't even eight am." Even a non-contractor could tell that this was by far an irrational explanation, yet Hei didn't care and tried to sooth his now crying daughter by pulling her close to his chest – hugging her with one arm – while her mother suppressed the telekinetic power.

But this didn't stop the girl's tears from rolling in thick rivers down her face and so Yin turned onto her back – shortly leaving her husband's embrace – to fetch the toy-fish-rod from her nightstand. With one twist of her wrist the stuffed fish flew over the head of little Bai and made the child look up. Within a heartbeat the sadness and tears were gone and the baby approached the fidgeting toy while her mother returned to her former spot on Hei's chest – rod in hand.

The Black Reaper watched with wide and disbelieving eyes his daughter grasp the stuffed-animal and push its fin into her tiny mouth. "Yin. You do know that that's a toy for cats."

"She loves it," was all the Doll said while she swung the rod into the opposite direction, causing her daughter to crawl giggling after her beloved stuffed-fish.

With a soft smile Hei watched his daughter play happily for a while, before he turned his head slightly to look at his wife. "Do you want to go to Odaiba, Yin? The beach?" It didn't matter what the general public or even the so-called experts said or thought to know about Dolls, but his Yin certainly knew what she wanted and liked and what not. And the young woman loved the ocean. She had never said so and he had never asked, but he could see it in her purple eyes that she enjoyed the beach even when her features didn't give her desires away. This had been the reason why they had settled down in Osaka.

The Doll shook her head somewhat and looked up with her blurred vision to gaze into her husband's eyes. "No," she said softly and a small smile graced her lips about the thought behind his question. Then her features regained their usual blank expression. "I would like to visit the usual place."

This request made Hei's eyes widen briefly in surprise – he hadn't seen that one coming – while Mao's head shot up in the air and he glanced at the Doll nestled up in the Black Reaper's embrace. "What?! Why?!" He had remained quiet until now and observed their interaction. Hei had always been very interesting as a rather irrational Contractor and even so as Regressor – hell, he hadn't even noticed that the legendary BK201 had lost his powers and was a normal human while they had been on their run from Russia back to Tokyo. But now, Yin had also caught his attention.

Five years ago she had already shown a free will and the ability to think further than her minimal programming would allow – she had been able to direct Hei safely into the US embassy and had decided to lead the way to the Gate's center and to save the Yakuza's Doll. And she had even answered on his tentative question if she would be happy that she was allowed to spend time with that loud pink girl. But compared with the way she talked now and showed affection for the Contractor and their child… that had been nothing back then.

Hei was also different. He wasn't that heartbroken, uncaring man, he had stumbled upon in Russia, who hadn't cared what might happen to July. He was now more the boy, who had tried to give Huang and that female Contractor a chance on a life together far away from the Syndicate despite the trouble it might bring him.

A small smile formed on the Black Reaper's lips as he brushed a kiss on her bangs, ignoring the cat completely. "Then we'll visit the park."

The four lay there content for a while longer – Yin playing with Bai – when suddenly something crashed above their heads and someone stomped their way in the apartment above while screaming and cursing loudly. Hei's eyes narrowed dangerously. "We better get going," he muttered with gritted teeth. _'Before I'll make them shut up forever!'_

* * *

After a quick breakfast, the four were in front of their apartment-building and Hei strapped his daughter – still chewing on her fish – into the stroller while Yin had wandered off a little towards their landlord's columbine and chamomile-bed. The Black Reaper lifted his dark head from his daughter's chubby face. His midnight-blue gaze travelled over to the Doll, who suddenly held yellow, red and white flowers in her hands – 'eagerly' enlarging her bouquet.

"Yin! What are you doing?!" Hei hissed agitated and maneuvered his body so in front of his wife that the flowers in her hands were hard to be seen. "You can't pick flowers from someone else's bed!"

Yin looked slowly up to him with her dull purple eyes. "It's fine, Hei. The landlord allowed it." She could _feel_ the confusion displayed on her husband's face – she knew his reactions quite well by now and didn't need her unnatural eyes. "His wife wants to turn this flowerbed into a small zen-garden."

Hei stared at her for a moment. "What are the flowers for anyway?"

But when Yin was about to answer, the door to the landlords' flat opened and an elderly brunette woman stepped out – broom in hand. "Good morning, Li-san." She smiled at the couple and her eyes caught sight of the flowers in the calm silver-haired woman's hands. "You can also pick some of the bellflowers from that bed over there. The quicker the flowers are gone the less excuses my husband has to further delay the garden project," she said with a smirk. She liked her new lodgers. At first she had her doubts because of the baby and maybe thought their name to be an omen that they would be as loud as their long-term disquieter a.k.a. the Lees. But luckily, it turned out that the baby was remarkably quiet - only crying occasionally - and the child's parents were polite and helpful although were keeping to themselves, but she was fine with this.

"Thank you," Yin muttered and approached the blue bed to collect a few more flowers.

* * *

The sun shone hot down on the four when they walked down the sidewalk in their old neighborhood in Shinjuku. Not much had changed. The streets and houses were all the same, only the American check-point was new, but no hindrance for them. Yin had forced a small smile onto her lips and thus looked a lot more unlikely to be a Doll for the general public.

The Black Reaper wore dark pants and a plain brown button-up shirt – the top buttons undone – while Yin had her old blue-white dress on, a baby-blue bow adoring her ponytail. She held the flower-bouquet in one hand and Hei's hand in the other, their fingers laced as he pushed the stroller with their daughter and Mao in it. The cat-contractor lay on the stroller's backrest, occasionally scratching his head or neck. "Like time had stopped," he muttered about the unchanged streets and earned a 'mhm' from the other contractor.

Hei hadn't given much attention to his whereabouts – the scanning of the vicinity went on auto-pilot and since it was all like he knew it to be, his subconsciousness had determined everything as 'safe'. So it happened that they passed by another building with him giving the lone person not a second glance.

"Li-san, is that you?" An old lady holding a broom asked bewildered. Her eyes widened in surprise when the man pushing the stroller indeed turned around and looked at her astonished. "I thought you were deported back to China." Misuzu approached her former lodger and smiled at the baby, before scowling at the somewhat scared looking cat – the animal's eyes fixed to her broom.

"Umm, this had been a misunderstanding, but when they confirmed they had the wrong one, it was too late and I was already back in my home-country." Hei had slipped into his Li-persona, his hand somewhat awkwardly at the back of his head as he smiled down at the old woman.

"The wrong one?" She asked with a frown.

"Yes. You have to know that Li is unfortunately for me an extremely common name in China and they confused me with another Li Shengshun, who has even birthday the same day as me." Hei leaned somewhat down and lowered his voice. "That guy apparently said something against the Chinese government's methods."

His former landlady nodded in understanding. "That's really unfortunate for you. A good guy like you didn't deserve that."

Before Misuzu could say anything else, her gaze on the silver-haired European woman, a red-head hurried past them, a smile was on her lips. "Good morning." She was already a few meters down the street when she turned with a small frown. "Huh?" Those people looked strangely familiar. She then approached them and scrutinized the black-haired man. "Umm, Li-kun? You're back in Japan?"

Hei forced another smile onto his face – the astonishment was real, he only didn't hide it behind his contractor act. "Hi,…" _'What was her name again? Aileen?'_ "You still living here?" He decided to let her name drop. Either it would come up in the talk, which he wanted to keep as short as possible, or he would maneuver his way around addressing her. Anyway, he doubted he would meet her again, so it didn't matter even if he offended his former neighbor by calling her a wrong name.

"Well, yes." Irene was still dumbfounded to see him. They hadn't been friends and she had always thought him a bit weird to always work or study and never party, but apparently the man did have a social-life after all. Her eyes travelled from the tired-looking baby-girl to the silver-haired woman, who held his hand firmly. "Oh, you were working at the tobacco shop down the street, weren't you?"

The Doll nodded and forced a small smile. "Yes, I used to work there."

"Is that where you two met?" Irene asked bluntly. "I didn't know you were smoking, Li-kun."

"I never did." Hei was about to make up some story for this nosy woman, but Yin beat him to it.

"Sheng was so cute and thought I felt lonely, sitting there in that tobacco store with no customers." The silver-haired Doll hugged the arm, Hei was holding the stroller with and smiled softly as she 'looked' at the red-head. "One day he came over and we began to chat." Hei had a hard time to not look surprised about this good cover story and the light nuance in Yin's tone.

"This sounds like helpful Li-san," the old woman said. "Are you living here in the neighborhood?"

"No." Hei pressed out with another smile. Why weren't people satisfied with a simple 'hello'? A normal chat had worse questions than a job interview.

"We're only visiting an old friend." Yin let go of the Black Reaper's arm and took his hand instead.

Misuzu noticed the colorful flowers in the younger woman's grasp. "Oh, you're in a hurry then?"

"A little." Hei was amazed about how easily his wife could lie now. He bowed slightly. "It was nice to meet you. But we better get going. Goodbye."

"Goodbye." "And congrats to your baby," Irene added and watched the couple push the stroller down the street.

"That story was great, Yin." Mao praised as soon as they were out of earshot.

Hei nodded as his expression slipped back to his contractor face. "Yep, you are surprisingly good with acting." His dark eyes were trained on her.

"I watched you for years lie our way through different countries, Hei," Yin's voice was back to its usual monotone whisper.

"I'm rubbing off on you?" The Black Reaper smirked.

* * *

In contrast to the rest of the district, the playground in the park had changed quite a bit. The frame of the swings had been painted in red, the slide's color had completely faded away by the sun and a small jungle gym stood near their old meeting place, the tree. Wordlessly Yin approached the bench beneath the tree and placed the flowers down onto the old wood – next to the splintered dent. This damage was all that remained of the fateful last few days before the last solar maximum.

Both male contractors watched the Doll stand there under the tree, her dull eyes pinned to the colorful flowers and suddenly they understood. "Huang," Hei whispered and neared his wife, placing his large hand onto her shoulder in a comforting gesture. Neither of them had been real friends with the older man and most time he had been a pain in Hei's ass with his speeches about the monstrosities the rest of his team were, yet he had been their partner and had watched their backs the moment the existence of their whole kind had been at stake. He had been only another victim of the former Syndicate and this even before his death.

Remembering him was the least they could do. Huang deserved this much.

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked this chapter.

Please be honest, who of you had thought the red-head to be Suou in the very first moment?

And thanks to InflatedChimp for pointing out errors, I really appreciate this.


	26. Chapter 26

DISCLAIMER: I own nothing.

Beta-reader: Antonio92 (many thanks to you)

A/N: Big thanks for the many reviews, Monotufu, tityuio, Shadowhawk, InflatedChimp, Camille loves chocolate, Tyloris, Harteramo, deathnoteno1fan-codegeasslover, foggraven, miss nobody, Polos Elite and Maiden of Sin.

There's a little background-information about Hei in this chapter, which refers to my other DTB story 'When the stars vanished'.

OC description: 

_Emerald_: 10 year old Doll with medium 'shadow'; green eyes and really short brown hair; Asian

_Ivory:_ 13 year old Contractor; manipulating plants; remuneration: scratching himself bloody; light brown eyes and normal long brown hair (like July's hair length); Asian; Emerald's older brother

_Bai:_ 8 months old Contractor with telekinetic power; no remuneration; light brown hair and dark blue eyes

* * *

Chapter 26

Hei sat next to his wife and daughter on a swing while Mao had curled up on the bench next to the flowers. The Black Reaper had tried to play with Bai, holding her while she slid, but the baby was apparently still too young to see the fun and had started her heart-tearing cries before she had even reached the slide's end. Now she sat on Yin's lap, secured tightly by her mother's arm about her tummy, while the Doll swung slightly. This slow tempo seemed to appeal to the baby – at least she had calmed down.

It was peaceful on the playground and only Hei's growling stomach disturbed the moment. With a sigh he got up and neared his girls. A deep frown ceased his forehead as he scrutinized his little daughter's half closed eyes and emotionless features. "Yin?" This made the Doll 'look' his way. "Bai's expression… she looks like a Contractor." _'Or a Doll…'_

Yin's eyes widened and her specter appeared next to her husband, also looking at her baby. "Again."

"Again?!" Hei felt a pang to his heart. The last few days he had been hardly at home when his daughter had been awake. Was he already on the path to become as oblivious to his child's condition as his own parents had been? "Since when does she have this expression?"

"I noticed it yesterday… Once."

"Yesterday?" A stone lifted from his heart. Tentatively he smiled at his daughter. Like woken from a trance, the baby's chubby cheeks moved upwards till she smiled back at her father.

"Maybe she imitates your expressions," Mao mused and eyed the little girl while he curiously approached the three.

"Maybe… Or her Contractor personality is manifesting." This was not good. Especially not with the check-points looking for not registered Contractors and Dolls. Hei lifted the baby up and cradled her to his chest. They would have to be extremely careful from now on.

* * *

"Oh, Rika-chan, you've become tall. A real lady!" Hei said in his Li persona and caused the brunette to blush furiously while her father, the owner of the Homerun House, didn't look thrilled.

The shorter man sighed and led his new and only customers to a table near the kitchen, his misty eyes on his daughter. "Yep, they grow so fast and before you know it, they're at university and meet some guy and then they'll move away and forget about their old father."

Hei grinned as he sat down across from his wife. "My, my. Aren't you exaggerating?"

"You'll see when your little one enters puberty. Then music and cute actors are the only things she'll have eyes for."

"Papa, I won't move out when I'll go to university next year." Rika said in a tone that made Hei and Mao – who had sneaked in and was now hiding under Yin's chair – believe that she had already repeated this sentence a hundred times.

"Next year? It's only seven months till you graduate and start university!"

"It's still next year, papa…" The teenager shook her head and faced her childhood-crush. "What may I bring you?"

The Black Reaper still smiled. He kinda liked the cook and his daughter. The man usually talked like a waterfall, but he didn't bother Hei with private questions – he was the one giving private information away like it was nothing. "Five bowls ramen with pork flavor and five with duck, please."

"Sure." The girl smiled and turned her gaze to the calm young woman, not impressed by the order at all.

"One bowl with Seafood flavor, please," Yin murmured in her even voice and lifted Bai from the stroller to place the baby onto her lap.

Rika smiled at the little girl sucking on a toy-fish, a rod dangling from it. "You're a cutie." Then her gaze wandered up to the child's mother. "Umm, are you from Shinjuku? I think I've seen you before." There weren't many foreign girls with silver hair and violet eyes in their city.

Hei inwardly sighed. But then again, they were back in Tokyo with their old alias and thus old pasts. And somehow it felt nice to be recognized as something else than the Black Reaper and BK-201's Doll. "My wife used to work at a tobacco shop not far from here when she was about your age."

"Oh yeah, the tobacco shop at the corner!"

"What have you done in a tobacco shop, Rika?!" Her father inquired alarmed but the teenager was already on her knees, scratching Mao behind his ear with a smile. "Oh, is this your cat, Li-san?"

"Umm, yes." Hei didn't miss the doubtful gaze of the cook about an animal in his restaurant, but since they were the only customers this shouldn't be a problem. "He's already old and won't stray into the kitchen. He hardly makes the way to the cat toilet anymore."

Mao shot the other Contractor an angry glare, but Rika's tender fingers soothed him and made him rub his head into her palm. "He's cute. What's his name?"

"Ricardo." Hei received anew a dagger-filled stare.

"Oh, that's a really great name. I love the ring of Latin-American names." The brunette beamed at the cat. "You know a cat that looked just like you used to come here. I named him Hernandez."

'_Yeah, I remember…'_ Mao thought.

"Rika, please leave the cat alone and do your job."

The brunette looked up to her father. "My job? You already heard the orders. _I_ have to wait for _you_ till _I_ can serve the dishes."

"See what I mean, Li-san… Just enjoy the time you have while your little one adores you as her hero and listens to your every word."

Hei stole a glance at his babbling daughter on her mother's lap. "She might adore me, but she already thinks I'm joking when I tell her 'no'." This was really hard for Hei. He didn't want to scold his beloved Bai, but she had to learn that levitating the TV through the room is a no-no. Or, for that matter, doing the same to her father. Unfortunately for Hei she didn't seem to take him seriously – maybe she was too young – and the baby only giggled at her father's agitated features.

"A little rebel, huh? They get younger and younger…" Rika's father muttered as he returned to the kitchen.

In the meantime Yin had fished several jars of baby-food from the bag hanging from the stroller's handles. "May I have a small spoon?"

Rika looked up from Mao and smiled at the Doll. "Sure, just a moment, please." She got to her feet. "I'll bring Ricardo a can with tuna."

"That's nice of you," Hei replied while Mao already licked his mouth.

When a few minutes later Yin's meal and the first batch of Hei's had arrived, the Contractor felt the presence of the cook behind him, looking towards them, while Hei was already inhaling his second bowl.

"Any parental test is needless…" Rika's father muttered after a while with a disbelieving expression.

"Huh?" Hei looked a little confused about the other man's statement, but then his gaze followed his to Bai emptying her fourth jar of baby food. And he sighed.

* * *

They had climbed the many stairs up to the rooftop and the forgotten apartment sitting atop the building. Mao sat at Yin's feet and the Doll watched the river, and the Wall beyond it, holding Bai in her arms as Hei plugged the wires for his safe-house into the breaker box. This was so much easier now that he didn't have to worry about getting a deadly electric shock.

Inside the large apartment he found everything as he had left it more than two years prior. On the old black leather couch, Suou's bag was laying still with her camera and book of her mother's photos in it, her and July's coats placed on a heap over the armrest next to the small TV. Seeing the belongings of those children made his heart suddenly heavy. Back then, after the Izanami disaster, his entire concern had been on the only person he had been able to save that fateful day.

At the beginning of his Russia mission he hadn't intended to let that emotional Contractor-child and the young Doll mean anything to him – he had already lost every single person who had been important to him and he couldn't bear to let someone else close, only to lose them. But those children had mattered to him in the end and it had stung his heart deeply to have to leave their corpses behind, inside the Gate.

Yin felt her husband's sudden sadness. Her observer spirit appeared next to them and its gaze followed Hei's to the belongings she recognized as those of the two children who had accompanied him on his way back from Russia. She had watched them on a few occasions with her specter when Izanami had not struggled against her 'grasp'. Yin had tried to lead Hei to her body's location so he would end it – stop Izanami from waking once and for all. But he hadn't been able to see her. Yet she had been able to stop that water-Contractor from hurting or taking the children Hei had cared for - to keep the man she loved from hurting even more.

Slowly the specter approached the clothes, lifted them up and folded them neatly together. "We can take them with us, Hei."

The dark Contractor only nodded and finally stepped inside the living room. He pushed the blue curtain leading into the kitchen to the side and began to put their groceries into the large fridge that was currently cooling down. He immediately checked the water but, as he had assumed, the forgotten safe-house was still hooked up to the water supply. Then he walked over into the rather spacious bathroom – it held a bathtub and still left enough space for a small table, a cupboard and most importantly: space to turn around. At their current residence the bathroom was so small that they would almost run into the sink whenever they left the shower.

The Contractor opened the faucets and let the brown water splash into the tube and sink until it turned clear. Afterwards he pushed the plug into the drain of the bathtub and poured some peach bath-soap into the gathering warm water.

When he stepped back into the living-room, the TV was running and Mao was resting in front of it on the couch while Yin had retrieved one of the futons from the closet. It was spread out on the hardwood-floor, with Bai and a few of her toys on it. Hei's eyes wandered over to the two other doors, leading to the additional rooms. Both large, but unfortunately the window panes had been broken and so he had the doors locked almost three years ago – to keep people from surprising him via those 'backdoors'.

"The bath will be ready in a few minutes," he informed the Doll, who only nodded in acknowledgement and retrieved a large towel, a fresh romper suit, her black tank-top and the diaper bag from the bottom compartment of the stroller. Wordlessly, she walked into the bathroom and placed everything neatly onto the table before returning to the main room to fetch her daughter and a yellow plastic duck.

* * *

Half an hour later the three soaked contently in the warm bubble-bath. Yin leaned against Hei's well-toned chest, his arms slung around her body to push the duck towards their daughter from time to time, who was sitting on his wife's lap.

"I want another baby," Yin suddenly said in her even whisper and didn't miss her lover's sharp intake of air. "Not now… but we could try in a year or two." She felt his tensed muscles relax somewhat. "I want Bai to have a sibling."

Silence stretched on between them while both watched their daughter happily squish the foam with her tiny hands. A soft smile crept onto the Reaper's lips and he tightened his embrace around his wife. He kissed the side of her head affectionately. "I would like that… I'm glad I had my sister."

Yin's slow voice didn't waver a bit when she spoke. "I had wanted to have a brother or sister when I was still little. But the only thing close to a sibling I ever had was my younger cousin… and I really didn't want to play with a baby when I had started with school and felt all grown-up," she paused a moment as she heard him chuckle. "But my parents hadn't wanted another child." She shifted slightly against his broad chest. "For obvious reasons."

"I wouldn't mind if our child was like you." He pressed his lips against her long silver locks. "You always seemed to do quite well without your specter." Suddenly curiosity stirred in Hei. "Did it bother you that you couldn't see like everyone else?"

Yin leaned her head back against his shoulder, her voice a slow and even whisper. "I didn't know it any other way… I couldn't understand why my parents always made a fuss when I wanted to shower alone or wanted to smear jam onto my toast with a butter knife all by myself." She remembered how her mother had always hovered around her while little Kirsi wanted to show how grown-up and independent she already was. "Don't get me wrong, they loved me and supported me, but they were just so afraid that I would hurt myself." She lifted her hand and wiped a few bubbles from her daughter's nose. "I can understand them now."

Hei rested his chin on top of her head as he pushed the plastic duck towards his little girl. "My parents were the opposite… My mother usually returned from work to make us something to eat when we came home… Xing's kindergarten was in the building next to my school. Once, our mom got stuck in traffic and we were already at home with growling stomachs… I was nine, I think, and Xing only five… I had taught myself how to use the microwave to make a pizza or to warm up the leftovers from the evening before… But when my mother caught up on my independence, she began to stay longer at the observatory."

At first he had felt proud to be trusted this much by his parents, but after a while he missed his mother's care and had felt bad for his little sister, who had always waited with her fairytale book clutched to her chest for their parents to finally return from work. With each day it got later and the siblings became increasingly independent and isolated from their parents.

Yin's hand reached for her husband's and squeezed it, while her other hand had Bai in a firm grip so the lively girl wouldn't slip from her lap by accident. "My best friend at school was taking ballet lessons, but that wasn't possible for me… Every child in my class had a hobby, except me… But then my parents came up with piano lessons. Something I won't need my eyes for and I couldn't get hurt doing… The best friend of my father from his childhood was a rather famous pianist and between his tours around the world he would stay at our house and in turn he taught me."

"The blond guy?"

The Doll nodded. "Yes, Eelis."

"Did you like to play the piano?" Hei asked after a while. Or was it just her parents' wish?

She nodded again in confirmation. "I think I still do."

He nuzzled her hair. "I would like to hear you play."

* * *

Mao lifted his head to face the Doll, clad in her blue-white dress, when she emerged from the bathroom with her daughter cradled in her arms. "Mao, would you please keep an eye on Bai? She won't bother you. She's already sleepy." She placed her little girl gently onto the futon.

Mao eyed the yawning baby and looked confused up to her mother, who turned the volume of the TV up. "Why? What are you-" Just then Yin vanished into thin air, causing the cat to narrow his eyes in annoyance. _'The specter… But why…'_ Suddenly heavy moaning came from the closed bathroom-door. Mao's eyes widened in realization and he turned his head around to look at the futon, where the baby was already busy with levitating the lamp towards her outstretched arms.

"Sleepy… my ass!" He approached the girl warily to not startle her – inwardly grateful that the heavy TV hadn't caught her interest. "How about you put that slowly down, Little Miss?" But the child ignored him and inspected the still hot light bulb, the lamp hovering upside down in front of her. When Bai was about to touch the hot glass, Mao turned around in panic and waved his tail in front of the little girl's face. "Look, kiddo!"

* * *

When the couple eventually left the bathroom hand in hand – both wearing matching black tank-tops and Hei dark green boxers – the Black Reaper scanned the room for his daughter immediately. The girl's baby-sitter held his tail in a strange angle. "What was that scream?" Hei asked, playing dumb and eyeing the lamp lying on the floor.

Mao sat on the couch with the cat-toy-rod in his mouth while Bai crawled giggling beneath him on the floor after her beloved fish. The cat-Contractor wiped his head around, making the fish fly over the child's head to her other side, before he placed the wooden stick to his paws on the cushion. "What was that noise coming from the bathroom?" he shot back with his eyes narrowed.

Both males stared at each other for a moment, before both came to the silent agreement to don't inquire further. Sighing, Hei walked over to the two and picked his daughter up with half of the toy fish in her mouth. He smiled at the girl with her large blue eyes, before sighing. "Looks like papa has to tie the furniture to the floor again." Bai pulled the with spit dripping stuffed animal from her mouth and offered it to her father laughing. "That's not funny, princess."

But Hei couldn't be serious for long around his little girl, so he sat down cross-legged on the futon and placed his daughter next to him while Yin returned the lamp to its former spot. With her specter the Doll watched the infamous Black Reaper smile at their child and take the rod. Moments later he was playing with the baby, making her giggle and squeal in delight. This went on until the girl had her prey firmly clutched to her chest and let herself fall to the side with a grin, the string caught beneath her body.

Hei smirked as he saw his daughter's happy face and heard her giggle every time he tried to pull the fish free without success – the string stretching all the while. "Looks like I have a really big fish on the hook, huh, Bai?!"

The baby giggled and rolled onto her tummy, the fish beneath her body and the string stretching even more… until her father pulled one last time, causing the string to snap in two and the wooden stick to fly back and collide hard with Hei's face.

"Shit," the Black Reaper cursed while Bai had started to whimper.

"Are you alright, Hei?" Yin had already crouched down next to her lover, who was now holding his left eye. She 'looked' worried up to him while lifting the now crying baby up into her embrace.

"This child is dangerous," Mao muttered as he took the young woman's violet eyes in with astonishment. In her almost sightless orbs swam deep concern for the other Contractor. _'So many emotions in a Doll…'_

"She just got me on the eyebrow." Hei admitted after a moment, moving his hand away to give Mao and Yin's observer spirit the opportunity to look at him.

The specter nodded. "You have a bruise." The apparition vanished, but they could hear the opening and closing of the fridge from the kitchen. A moment later, the observer spirit held the blue curtain to one side while she stepped out from the neighbored room and approached with a bag of frozen broccoli in her hand. She offered it wordlessly to Hei, who took it to press it onto his eyebrow.

"Thanks, Yin." He hissed as the cold spread through his skin and head. "At least I don't have to defrost the veggies for supper anymore." He glanced over to his wife as she tried to calm their little girl. But Bai was already red in the face and far from stopping her tantrum. Hei forced a smile and stroked the girl's downy head with his free hand. "Shh, Bai. Papa is fine." But this didn't help at all and both parents feared for their child to choke if she would keep going on like this.

"I think she's crying because of her broken toy," Mao suggested and dragged the stick towards the Doll and the baby, who fisted the stuffed-fish.

Hei eyed his daughter and the toy for a moment, before putting the frozen broccoli to one side and lifting the ripped string from the baby's sleeve. He also fetched the end from the rod and knotted the ends together. "Look, Bai, your fishy is fine again," he said while waving the stick slightly – the toy-animal dangling in front of the little girl.

To everyone's relief the baby blinked once and twice and then reached giggling for her toy. A sigh escaped Hei's lips and he leaned back against the couch, the frozen vegetables back on his eye.

* * *

A/N: For those of you who haven't watched the English subbed version of Season2: Mao always called Suou 'Little Miss' in it. I thought it cute and so I made him call Bai this, too.

I hope you liked this long chapter.


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